The Lunar Conquest
by Conejo-sama
Summary: What if the wolves made it to Paradise? What if Hamona never died? What if Kiba wasn't the first wolf Cheza had encountered? What if it all started with just one girl...? ToboexOCxTsume
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf's Rain, property of BONES.**

* * *

><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

The only path to Paradise is through a wolf's eyes. And throughout the years, no wolf has been able to find it alive…

Except one.

…

_Rumored to be the place of bliss (for wolves), Paradise was the peak of perfection. The Rakuen for all wolves alike. A population of one unfortunate feral canine soul. The search for Paradise was long and enduring, but this young pup was there; and it was everything she imagined, only worse._

_Her journey was an accident from the start; she was a lucky one, but at the same time unlucky. Though her dreams were familiar to a common wolf's, she didn't intend to simultaneously appear in the Rakuen, especially not in her condition: an unfortunate crippled case. But when she woke up, she was no longer wrecked. Her bones weren't broken and her coat was clean of blood. Her stiff body wasn't ignorant of this. What was this miraculous, peculiar place?_

… Where… am I…?

_The moment she opened her icy blue eyes was also an alarm. The sky was blue. A clear sky blue. No sign of fog or smoke or any form of poisonous breathing air. Her lungs were clear. As she rose from the sleek grass, her nose sniffed the foreign land. The only scent in the atmosphere was the fragrance of flowers. But not just any kind of flowers._

_The young wolf's nose followed the scent, which happened to be everywhere. The closest scent was right next to her, where she found a beautiful white flower with layered petals. Thinking human thoughts and using the remaining strength she had, she turned into her human form and picked it from the ground, considering whether this illusionary euphoria was real or not. Her flower continued to glow after it was plucked from the ground. She took a curt whiff, then quickly redrew. The scent was very sensitive and familiar to her canine senses. The field she was currently laying in was entirely covered with the exotic plants that she could not recognize. They had a glamorous aura, making the field shine with a living essence._

_From her memory as a pup, there were rumors of the bountiful, lustrous flowers, which led the wolves through the latent path of Paradise, but she could not commit to memory. Her mind was still hazy; the accident must've had affected her memory. She looked at the flower again. The luminescent glow reminded her of the moon—the lasting shimmer, dazzling. "Lunar flowers," she told herself when she finally remembered. This was the scent the wolves subconsciously followed in order to get to Paradise. However, there were similar scents that only led them in circles. Some wolves were known to even have searched the entire world, but they died before they could achieve that goal._

_She was not one of those wolves._

_This infinite landscape of rich flowage was Paradise. This was the place they had been looking for their whole lives. The place of wonder she finally discovered. The dream she finally fulfilled._

"_Paradise…" she finally spoke. "I found it."_

_When the realization sunk in, she turned back to her original form and ran through the beaming carnations, spiraling incessantly until fatigue washed over her; her little celebration was over shortly after it started. Her dream finally came true. For years, she had dreamt of this moment. Triumph permeated through her, giving her more than a sense of accomplishment. Yet, she still felt unsatisfactory. An empty feeling was still inside of her, a part that her triumph could not fill._

_And it was then when she realized she was alone._

_She quickly sat up again, looking around her newly adapted environment. She sniffed the air again. She could only smell the scent of lunar flowers. She was alone. Completely, utterly alone. There was no other source of life in this Paradise. No, that was not what she wanted. This was not the Paradise she was looking for._

"_Big brother." In melancholy, Tsuki put a hand to her chest, sliding it up to the locket around her neck. This was another painful reminder of her elder brother. Her ultimate goal was to get to Paradise with her brother, but her only family was not with her. Yet, she was here. How could she enjoy this without her brother? It didn't feel right to her. This was no Paradise after all. "Big brother," she cried again. "Tsume!" She howled, transforming back into a wolf. Her heartrending wails echoed through the field and beyond._

_She laid the head on her paws, inwardly moping and hoping her brother would respond to her distressed calls._

_Then she heard footsteps. She sat up again. The footsteps were slow and shoddy; they sounded like they were walking in water. She couldn't see the water, but her exquisite hearing allowed her to hear where the sound was coming from. Her instincts immediately kicked in, compelling her to follow the sound. It was not long before she came across a lake and the owner of the mysterious footsteps._

_It was a young girl, probably a few years older than her. She only wore a white full-body leotard, which glistened with her pale skin as she danced around in the lake. Her hair was a nice lilac color and her eyes were a hot pink. She was dazzling. The wolf pup had never seen anyone look so pure, so vulnerable. The glow around her was as radiant as the lunar flowers._

_The albino girl suddenly stopped her little dance and turned towards her. The way she stared at her was unusual. It was as if she was looking through her._

Is she… is she blind?

_Her eyes were trying to look at one place in particular; she was trying to look at her._

_The girl continued towards her, making the young wolf tense. The closer she came, the stronger the scent of flowers grew. She knew this scent was coming from the girl, and it was making her nose very sensitive. She sneezed, but quickly shook it off._

_The girl continued to get closer to her. Since she was a stranger, the she-wolf didn't know whether it was right to trust her or not. Her instincts told her she was trustworthy, but her scent was abnormally strong, which made her feel susceptible. This was the first time her instincts were noncommittal._

_When the girl was finally in front of her, she held out her hand, as if to greet the young wolf. She was reluctant to make a move, but standing there was inane. Before she could even think, the girl knelt in front of her and began to pet her coat. The smooth feeling made her flimsy but at the same time warm and safe. New emotions welled up inside of her, which was starting to make her feel provoked. What was this girl doing to her?_

_The girl shortly retreated her hand, and the young wolf suddenly missed the feeling. "This one is no longer alone," the strange girl finally said. "This one has a friend. What is your name?"_

_At first, the hoary pup fluctuated. This girl didn't seem human at all. The way she spoke was unusual and her mysterious abilities were ambiguous. The feelings that overwhelmed her a moment ago were suddenly coming back to her. Her stiff muscles were no longer tense, but relaxed—she wanted more of that energy. Setting her gluttonous mind aside, she continued to debate in her mind whether or not she should trust this strange girl. "… Tsuki," she finally answered, but her reply was quieter than she thought it would be. She couldn't lie to herself; though this girl looked innocent, she was still scared stiff of her._

"_This one's name is Cheza," the girl said, reaching out to touch her again. Tsuki almost hesitated again, but she let the girl named Cheza touch her once more, allowing that warm feeling to suffuse through her. "This one will not harm you." Cheza's touch was starting to make her feel refreshed, but at the same time lethargic. Sensing her drowsiness, the Flower Maiden allowed the young wolf to lay her head in her lap._

_As the girl continued to smooth down her velvety coat, the empty feeling inside Tsuki was slowly fading away._


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter I**

A full moon was coming.

It would be the first full moon the pack of wolves would bask in after a month. They were, to say the least, relieved and spiritually exhausted. The next town they came across would hopefully gave them some physical relief. They had been traveling for days, endlessly, only stopping a few times to rest and a few days just to wait for the full moon to come.

It was unanimous that they would stay there.

"This town seems decent enough," the largest wolf said. "I think we should stay here for the night."

"I agree with the pig," the eldest member of their pack said. "This town seems alright, and we need to stop sometime. The runt doesn't look like he could last another day without stopping."

"I'm fine," the youngest cried, feeling offended. "But I wouldn't mind stopping. Besides, Cheza seems to like it here."

The Flower Maiden was walking ahead of the group, basically leading them through the town. She was the precious key to their main destination: Paradise. She also wasn't in any hurry—a break to bask in the sun and a drink of water sounded nice right about now.

"This one senses no danger," she agreed with her wolf companions.

"Alright, we'll stay for a while, but we'll need to find refuge soon," their nominal leader said. Everybody was satisfied with that conclusive decision. With the wolves in their human forms, they would be able to pass through this place more placidly.

Meanwhile, in a certain antique shop, a young girl about 15-years-old exited the store with an enclosed frame. She had just made an offer with the store owner, and would be returning tomorrow to collect her well-earned cash. They needed the money—she and her traveling companion—so they would be able to leave this godforsaken town. She couldn't smell anything but the pollution and alcohol everywhere. She was surprised she wasn't suffocating from the poisonous air.

She began to walk back to her hideout, trying to stay as subtle as possible.

At the same time, the conspicuous newcomers who were going in the direction from whence she came passed her, and one of them couldn't help but notice her. Toboe, the youngest of the group, turned around as the girl passed him. He took in her appearance as she walked away:

Her skin was tan like his older friend Tsume, and her hair had the same hoary color as his, too, but her eyes were blue like the sky—not the gray sky he saw now. And her body, with its back scarcely covered with a scrawny wool jacket, was very revealing. Even though she looked about his age, she dressed so explicitly; it was making him feel hot. The shorts she was wearing looked too short—he quickly moved his gaze to her legs, which were protected by boots that ended midway up to her thighs. Her scent was that of a wolf's, he was certain, but he also noted a faint scent in the mix that made her smell wonderful. A girl like that would surely get into a lot of trouble.

Toboe felt Hige nudge his arm. "What?" he inquired.

"I saw you checking out that girl," the older boy said with a sly grin on his face.

The pup blushed. "W-What girl?"

"Don't play dumb, runt."

"I'm not! And I wasn't looking at anyone!"

"Whatever you say." Hige finally dropped the subject, but he didn't let his suspicions go. He knew Toboe's adolescence was catching up to him, and he was starting to smell out all of the girls he caught sight of. The runt was finally growing up.

Toboe made sure Hige wasn't looking before turning around again. The girl soon turned a corner into an alleyway, and he could see she was already attracting trouble. Three thugs gazed at her exultantly, looking at her in so many places; it was making him heat up even more. They followed her into the alley. With his sharp hearing senses, he could already hear a few shouts, which was obviously not a good sign. He was physically shivering at the possible things they could be doing to that innocent girl.

He thought about following them, but being the cowardly one out of his pack, Toboe usually left the rescuing to his friends. He could see that they were already too far away from him to get immediate help without attracting unnecessary attention. If he wanted to save that girl, he would have to buck up and save her himself. Without hesitation, Toboe ran around the same corner where the girl and the goons had disappeared. But as soon as he was in the alley, he came across two unconscious hooligans and their leader, practically getting his leg torn off by a wolf.

He didn't know how to react to this. He knew it was the girl, but he didn't know that the seemingly calm she-wolf he saw a few moments ago could turn into such a menace. Just looking at her, he felt weaker than he had before. Maybe coming here to help was a waste of time, he thought. This girl could obviously protect herself.

Suddenly, the man she was biting into pulled out a gun and pointed it at her. Before he could shoot, Toboe turned into his original form and bit into the man's hand. He didn't know what got into him, but he couldn't stand seeing that girl getting hurt—he couldn't stand the violence in general. The man he bit yelled in pain and struggled to get the two pups to let go of his limbs. Toboe soon let go, but the she-wolf was still at it. Her former assailant swung the gun at her, which made her release her grip on his bleeding leg.

"It's Darcia's curse!" he cried before running away.

Toboe soon turned into his human form, again. That peculiar name came up again. Darcia. He didn't exactly know who that was, and he was curious to find out. But not right now. Right now, he had to focus on the girl—the reason why he acted so valiant and stupid—who was still in her wolf, ready to leave.

Before she could go anywhere, Toboe stuttered, "Um… well, you're welcome…?" She began to walk away. "Wait! Where are you going? It's too dangerous to be alone."

He mentally slapped himself. That was the most hypocritical thing he could say, since he was the one who left his friends to save this girl. He was too frazzled to say anything else, though. The girl looked more beautiful in her wolf form than as a human. The fur on her back, her legs and her tail was gray, while her underbelly, underbrush and the fur around her eyes were white. And if he didn't know any better, he could've sworn the gray patches of fur had more of a lavender hue.

"What about you?" she finally said, interrupting the awkward silence. "You're alone."

He couldn't think after hearing her voice. It was so innocent, sweet, soft. "I know!" he said all of a sudden. "How about I come with you?" He felt stupid for saying such nonsense. He didn't even know this girl; what made him so sure that it was safer to be around her rather than being alone? He was rather defenseless, and so was she, that was why. She had proved that she could handle a few strangers on her own, but she could've been shot if Toboe didn't interfere. And going with her was better than nothing.

After another moment of silence, the pup transformed back into a human, went behind one of the trash bins, and pulled out the rectangular object she was carrying earlier before she was almost mugged. She turned to him and said, "Follow me." She ran further into the alleyway and he followed her, wondering what kind of mess he was getting himself into.

* * *

><p>"Hey, I think we're missing someone," Hige pointed out.<p>

"Yeah, where's Toboe?" Tsume queried.

The pack stopped when they noticed their youngest member was no longer with them. "Where do you think he ran off to?" Kiba asked.

"He probably ran after that girl who had passed us," Hige said matter-of-factly.

"What girl?"

"Toboe's not a horny mutt like you, porky."

"Shut up!"

Cheza stayed quiet as she listened to their conversation. She knew which girl Hige was talking about. She felt something peculiar as that mysterious girl passed them. It was a feeling that had awakened within her—a feeling of bliss like she felt during her stagnation. She wasn't sure if she should trust this feeling, but that girl did look familiar. She wasn't able to see her completely but she could sense the wolf that lingered off of her. It was a wonder no one else could feel it.

"Uh-oh, guys," Hige said in warning. "We've got trouble."

Three soldiers from Freeze City were patrolling the area. They needed to find a place to go before they would get caught, again.

Being the one with the most acute sense of smell, Hige tried to sniff out a void environment where they could hide. "This way."

"What about Toboe?" Cheza asked.

"He probably sensed the soldiers already," Kiba said. "He's smart enough to know when he needs to hide."

The rest seemed hesitant about that, but they agreed to find their youngest member later. They needed to hide before the soldiers caught them. They went to the abandoned part of town, which was the dump. It was the safest area they could find. They took refuge in a wrecked bus. "Okay, so this place isn't as nice as we thought it was," Hige said. Everybody except Cheza frowned at him. He coughed. "What should we do now?"

"Someone should scout to see if any soldiers come by," Kiba said. "Somebody else has to protect Cheza."

"I'll be the lookout," Hige offered.

"No," Tsume immediately rejected the idea. "You'll probably get carried away and look for food."

"Hey! I told you before, I only ate the food because nobody else would accept it!"

"I'll do it," Kiba said so they would stop fighting.

"I'll try to find Toboe." Tsume left before anyone else could object.

"Make sure Cheza's safe," Kiba told Hige before he also sped off.

"Hey, wait a sec—damn it!" The hungry wolf turned to the Flower Maiden, who just smiled at him wholesomely. It was awkward staying alone with a girl who was terribly vulnerable to almost everything. This would've been Toboe's job if he didn't run off, he thought. Even though he was pissed that Toboe ran off—mostly likely with that girl they saw earlier—he was still worried about the pup. "You better show up soon, runt."

Meanwhile, someone—a wolf incognito—who could smell the Flower Maiden's strong essence from afar was watching the group the entire time. He came to see if his intuition was still acute. Seeing the genuine article was proof enough that he was right. His eyes narrowed in contemplation. He needed to find his companion before they found their hiding spot.

In a flash, the mysterious seeker fled to find his partner.

* * *

><p>Tsuki was a fickle. After the little scenario that happened in the alley, she thought nothing could get any worse. Unfortunately, as she was finishing off the ruffian who dared to face her, a pup her age decided to join the fight and help her. She didn't need help, but she was grateful.<p>

She remembered seeing the boy prior to the events that had occurred moments ago, along with a few other boys and a girl hidden under a pink poncho. All of them were wolves, except for the girl, who had a very familiar aura. Two of the boys also seemed peculiar—the crew cut with the ponytail and the brown jacket with tussled hair. When the older man walked by, she felt like an empty void in her chest filled up with happiness, but it quickly dispersed when he passed her. However, when the boy with the jacket passed by, she felt disconsolation and frustration, which also disappeared when he left with his group.

Now she was stuck with this pup. She couldn't let her partner find out about this, but she wouldn't kick the boy out on the street. Even though he helped her, it wasn't much compared to what she did herself—but he still helped her. He seemed more cowardly than courageous, and possibly stupid. She guessed most boys were like that, especially around girls their own age. She knew she could trust him. And it wasn't like he was going to make a move on her; he looked too innocent.

They were both alone in a small cabin outside the town, close enough to see the Forest of Death. It was small because it was made for only two people: she and her traveling companion. There were two rooms: a bed room complied of a twin-sized bed, which was also meant for two people, and a dresser with mirror; and a small kitchen with the works (oven, stove, sink, etc.), and a fireplace.

Both Tsuki and Toboe were in the bedroom, which was facing the Forest of Death. The male pup sat on the bed as he glanced outside the window, looking at the petrifying jungle of terror. "Wow," Toboe said with awe. "It looks so depressing."

Tsuki didn't respond to his comment, only concentrating on the valuable item in her grasp. She set it on an easel set up in the corner. Pulling the cover off, she revealed a painting of flowers. They were of a single variety, surrounding a lake that reflected the glowing carnations. A cluttered paint pallet sat on top of the small dresser ready for her to use again. She lifted the semi-dry pallet and a clean brush and began to paint.

Toboe watched as she began to make improvements on her beautiful creation. "Did you paint that whole thing yourself?"

She curtly nodded without removing her eyes from her work.

"It must be fun having to paint something so beautiful."

"I'm not doing this for fun," Tsuki stated without stopping her brush. "It's practically torture, painting just so we can run and survive."

"Oh." Toboe was taken aback by the blunt comment.

Silence overtook them for a while, until they heard someone else enter the cabin. Tsuki's brush stood in its place until she hastily rushed out of the room, dropping the pallet and brush. Toboe, curious as to why she was in such a hurry, followed her but then quickly hid behind the door when he saw who entered.

He didn't know who it was, but he looked quite intimidating. A dark, black coat covered most of the upper half of his body. The bottom half had black pants and black combat boots. His black clothes really brought out how ashen he was. He was a pale man with navy blue hair. One eye was hidden behind his bangs, but the other was overt, glimmering azure blue. Even though he looked wicked, he had a sincere smile on his face when he looked down at the hyperactive pup trying to lick his face.

"Hey, Tsuki," his baritone voice finally spoke. "Every time I come back, you seem more hyper than before."

His light expression quickly darkened when he saw Toboe. He didn't frown, but his smile turned into a smirk, very unwelcoming. "I see you've made a new friend." Tsuki backed off of her companion, whining abruptly. "Don't worry, I'm not angry. But next time, warn me before you bring strangers into our hideout." He ruffled her head before entering the kitchen. The enigmatic man continued to ignore Toboe as he grabbed a cup and filled it with water. He sat at the table, leaning back against his chair. Tsuki stood a close distance away, once again human.

There was something overly suspicious about this man, Toboe mused. He didn't smell right; he looked human and he smelled human, but he could also sense some wolf in him.

"I—I didn't mean to intrude," Toboe finally said walking into the kitchen. "I was helping Tsuki get rid of these guys who attacked her in an alley. I didn't want her to come here alone, and my friends were already gone, so I just followed her here."

The man took another sip before he finally responded. "I believe you," the man replied, "but I think you should leave. Your friends are looking for you, along with that Flower Maiden. They won't be sticking around for long, especially since those soldiers from Freeze City are still lurking about. You know how inconvenient that is for us?" He began to stare at Toboe, intimidating the pup.

Toboe would've been scared if the man didn't mention the Flower Maiden. "Y-You know about Cheza?"

He nodded. "It's common knowledge for any wolf to know about the Flower Maiden. As a matter fact, my grandfather created her."

"He did?"

He nodded.

"… Are you a wolf?"

"…" At first, Toboe was afraid he made him mad for being too nosy, but after a moment of silence, he shrugged. "… You could say that," he replied. Suddenly, the sound of a gun firing blasted in the air.

"What's going on?"

"Sounds like the soldiers have found your friends."

"Really?"

"Either them or hunters, but who hunts wolves nowadays, huh?" He knew the man was joking, but that didn't make Toboe feel any better about the situation. If the soldiers weren't hunting his friends, that crazy man from Freeze City and his dog could've been after them, and they didn't have a lot of options.

"But the only way they'll be able to escape is through the Forest of Death."

The man snickered. "The Flower Maiden's not going to make it through that place."

Toboe frowned. He didn't think that was very funny. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"There's no sunlight or water in that place. Even though she looks human, she's still as frail as a flower. She won't survive without any of those resources."

_That does explain a lot_, Toboe thought. _Cheza _is_ the Flower Maiden, after all_.

"Hey, why are just standing there, kid?" The man interrupted his thoughts. "Don't you want to help your friends?"

Toboe scowled at the man. "Of course I do!"

"Then let's go." He stood up from his chair and walked up to the door with Tsuki right on his tail. He was about halfway out the door before he turned back to the naïve pup. "By the way, my name's Tora." And then he and the pup sped off.

Toboe ran as fast as he could to catch up to them. Now he wasn't alone, but how long could he trust these people?

* * *

><p><em><strong>R&amp;R!<strong>_


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter II**

"Shit!"

Hige dodged a bullet that nearly shot his head. The gang, minus Toboe, ran as fast as they could while the Quent Yaiden, the ex-sheriff of Kyrios, continued to shoot at them. They were heading towards the Forest of Death, but somehow, the hunter was able to track them down without his dog present.

"You damn wolves!" he shouted. "You're not getting away from me this time!"

Tsume and Hige were almost in at the forest. Kiba and Cheza, however, were having a lot more trouble trying to dodge Quent's bullets. Cheza was a slow runner, so it was hard for Kiba to run any faster because he was holding her hand. Suddenly, Cheza tripped, releasing Kiba's hand. It was opportune for Quent to make a perfect shot.

"Cheza!" Kiba ran in front of her, blocking the shot that could've ended Cheza's life.

"Kiba!" Cheza said distraught. Kiba grabbed Cheza and ran, ignoring the pain he felt in his shoulder. No more bullets came their way, which was an extremely good sign. They could leave without anymore impediments.

As soon as they were in the forest, Hige and Tsume ran up to them. "Whoa, Kiba. What happened? Did you get hit?" Hige asked.

Kiba glared at him. "What the hell do you think?" Hige shut his mouth.

"It was this one's fault," Cheza answered him. She bowed her head down sadly.

Kiba's expression turned soft. "No, Cheza. It's not your fault." She looked up at him and gave him a warm smile. His expression changed when he looked up at the other two. "We need to get out of here."

"What about Toboe? We can't just leave him. If he tries to come to the forest alone, he'll be dead for sure."

"Porky's right," Tsume said. "Someone needs to go back out there and—" A howl interrupted him.

"It's Toboe!" Hige proclaimed.

The howl came again, followed by another one.

"And he's not alone," Tsume stated. He frowned when he heard the other howl. It was much higher pitch than Toboe's. What made him vexed about this was how familiar the bay sounded, but he couldn't describe it. The continued to listen as the sounds came closer. "Toboe must've found someone to help him, and they're heading this way."

"Alright then. Let's go." Kiba walked off before anyone could say anything. Cheza followed. Tsume and Hige exchanged skeptical glances before following the other two. They were both thinking the same thing:

Who was with Toboe, and would he survive?

* * *

><p>Toboe, Tsuki, and Tora hid behind a crevice at the side of the formation that stood before the Forest of Death. From where he was standing, Tora could see the one of the hunters he mentioned earlier—it was quite ironic because he didn't think the hunters were still roaming; wolves were supposed to be extinct to them. He looked like a crazy old man who had nothing better to do with his time; he could smell the alcohol off his breath from where he stood.<p>

"It's that old man," Toboe said. "The one who's been hunting us this whole time."

"Why does he hunt wolves?" Tora asked.

Toboe shrugged. "He just hates wolves for some reason. He's usually with his dog. I wonder where it went."

Putting that thought aside, Tora looked up at the old man again. From what he could see, the old man was busy reloading his gun. There was no place where they could pass through safely, only open space. They had no other choice but to run. All they needed was a distraction.

"On my command," Tora said to the pups. "You two run into the forest."

"What about—?"

"It won't be long until he's ready to shoot at anything that moves through this path," he said. "So you two will have to run for it while I distract him. I'll follow as soon as you two get there first."

"Alright." Toboe agreed with his plan. He couldn't think of anything else safer, and Tora was older than him; he probably knew this place better than anyone else.

Tsuki, however, opposed the idea. She clung to the pale man's arm, fearing that she may never see him again. "Tsuki, it'll be fine," Tora assured the girl. He detached his arm from her tight grip and put a hand on top of her head. "You need to help Toboe get across. I promise I'll be right behind you two." Tsuki still didn't like it, but she didn't defy him. Then Tora left to fulfill his plan.

The two watched as Tora transformed into a wolf, black as night. That was when Toboe could finally see both of his eyes. The right was blue, but it looked unusual in his wolf form. The left eye, the one that he couldn't see under his bangs, was yellow and looked more suitable on his face. It was a wolf's eye. That was why he hid it so well when he was human, Toboe thought.

When the black wolf ran out into the open field, Tsuki grabbed Toboe's wrist and ran in the other direction. They were closer to the Forest of Death than Tora was, so they would be able to get there sooner.

Meanwhile, as Tora was trying to distract Quent, the crazy old man was going psychotic. He could see the wolf's eyes, the ones that invaded his mind each day, reminding him of his family's demise. He only had one thought on his mind:

All wolves must die.

The black wolf jumped at him and he swung his gun at him. He nearly struck his head, but the wolf was able to dodge it. The wolf lunged at him again, but this time, Quent was able to hit his jaw. Tora flew back, disoriented. He hit the side of the formation and yelped in pain.

Tsuki stopped when she heard the yelp. Toboe became concerned when she stopped running. "Tsuki?"

She shook her head. "It's nothing." Then she heard the click. "Get down!"

Before Toboe could even think, Tsuki pushed him down, avoiding a bullet from spiraling into his head. Toboe moaned as he tried to sit up. Tsuki was on top of him, making the pup blush. He quickly regained focus again and tried to help her up, but not before they quickly went back down.

"Die, you demons!" Quent shouted as he continued to shoot at them.

Toboe grabbed Tsuki and they ran as fast as they could. The stunned black wolf swiftly got up from his lying position and bit Quent's arm. The old man cried out in pain but it didn't slacken the grip he had on his gun. He brandished his weapon at Tora's head, and once again, the wolf dodged it. When he saw that Tsuki and Toboe were no where in site, he knew it was his time to leave.

As Tora turned to run, a bullet flew past him, grazing his forearm. "You're not getting from me that easily, _wolf_," Quent said with venom in his tone. He was determined to kill any wolves in his grasp. The other two had already escaped thanks to the black one, so now he had to pay.

Tora could see this man was not going to quit until he was dead, so, ignoring his callous wound, he jumped down the formation where Quent was still standing and ran at the rate of a wolf's. Bullets continued to whiz past him as he ran and soon disappeared. A holler echoed through the forest, reverberating in wolves' ears.

"He's pretty angry," Toboe said.

"There isn't anything pretty about a mad man," Tora murmured. He grimaced as he held his injured arm. Tsuki walked over to him and took his arm, but the older man quickly pulled it back. "I'm alright, Tsuki," he said with considerate eyes. "It's not so bad. Don't waste your energy worrying about me." The look on his face told Tsuki he really didn't need her help, so she backed away. "We can't waste energy on a few minor wounds. We still need to find your friends before it's too late."

"Where could they be?" Toboe inquired.

"They're probably too deep in the forest," Tora said. "It'll be difficult to find them."

"There's a fresh scent," Tsuki informed them. "I smell flowers straight ahead."

Tora took a whiff of the air. Sure enough, the Flower Maiden scent was caught in his keen nose. Toboe could also smell it along with the scent of the other wolves, but Cheza's scent overlapped theirs. "Lead the way, Tsuki."

The young girl nodded and led the two into the Forest of Death to find Toboe's wandering friends.

* * *

><p>The band of wolves continued to travel through the Forest of Death, and so far, they had made little progress. And without Toboe's peppiness, the mood was very solemn. Not to mention Hige's griping was starting to get on their nerves.<p>

"Man this place is depressing," Hige whined. "I thought forests were supposed to be… _more_ _alive_, you know?"

"It's the Forest of Death, idiot," Tsume said.

"And it's the very reason humans can't follow us here," Kiba added.

"Well, we don't have to rely on compasses or whatever, but shouldn't there at least be some animals? You know, like a rabbit or a fox?"

"Don't start all hungry on us, porky. Not when the rest of us are suffering, too."

"Sue me, alright?" Hige sighed. This would've been more entertaining if Toboe was here acting his goofy self, being the city kid with no experience of being in the wild at all.

"We'll probably come across a town once we're through this forest," Kiba said as a matter of fact. "Just hang in there until then."

"If we make it out of here alive, that is."

Hige glared at Tsume. He was such a Debby Downer. "Whatever." He stepped forward and then quickly staggered back when a skull rolled in front of him. Suddenly, a giant beetle flew out of the skull. "Whoa!" he hollered. He had never seen a bug so massive before.

It continued to fly irately around the group until Tsume reached out and grabbed it. "I've never seen a bug like this," he observed. Then he put it in Hige's face. "Here." Hige gawked at the thing, disgusted. "You're hungry, aren't you? Chow down."

"Why the hell should I?"

"Because you have the strongest stomach. Now eat it."

"I ain't your taster! And how come you're giving me orders? You're not our leader or anything, right?" He looked out to Kiba, who gave him an impassive response. "Hey, I know! Let's give it to Cheza!" He snatched the bug from Tsume's grasp and put it in the Flower Maiden's face. "I bet you're hungry, right?"

Kiba immediately sliced it down, and it crashed into a pile of bug guts. "Cheza does not eat bugs!"

"Well then, what the hell should we feed her?"

"This one doesn't eat anything," Cheza said.

"Not a thing?"

"Now that you mention it, I've never seen her eat," said Tsume.

"This one drinks, and basks."

"Basks in what?" Kiba asked.

Cheza looked up, and the wolves followed her gaze. They saw nothing but the thick branches of the barren trees that covered up the sky. "But not here." Then they understood.

"Sunlight," Kiba answered their thoughts.

Hige nodded. "Makes sense; she is a flower."

"Do you think she'll be able to continue without sunlight or water?" Tsume asked.

"I don't know." Kiba looked at Cheza as she continued to stare at the nonexistent sky. She looked so fragile now, her hands rose up like she was about to receive something. Who knew how long she would last in this barren wasteland? "We better not stay and find out. Hige, try to find us an exit."

"Got it!" Hige sniffed around, but it was ineffectual. He couldn't get a whiff of anything. He wasn't going to tell Kiba; he wouldn't hear the end of it if he said anything Tsume, either. Suddenly, he heard a flap. "A bird!"

"What?" Kiba looked up. He also heard the noise, but he wasn't as sure as Hige.

"It's the Forest of Death. You must be seeing things."

"No! I'm sure I heard the flapping of wings above us. It was from an owl, which means… we've got meat!"

"Hold on!" Tsume grabbed his shoulder before he could go anywhere. "If you really saw an owl, don't you think it could be useful for something else besides food?"

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"It could lead us to water." Kiba looked at Cheza for a moment and she smiled. "Lead us to the owl."

Hige sighed heavily. "You guys should start lifting a finger for a while. I'll tell ya it gets pretty exhausting."

"Shut up and go!" Tsume shouted at him.

With a scowl, Hige ran in the direction he heard the owl and the others followed his lead.

* * *

><p>Cher Degré, a scientist from Freeze City, woke up from her deep slumber to find that she had been kidnapped by Darcia III. Now, in full awareness, she was briefly informed by the Noble about something she had devoted her life to: Cheza, the Flower Maiden, and her purpose. She had extraordinary gifts that the young scientist could not discover herself all those months she had analyzed her. Now, she had stumbled upon a new scientific discovery.<p>

She had never seen something so complex, at least not as complex as Cheza. In front of her was a screen showing her two figures. One was an outline of Cheza, showing the intricate system of roots in her body. The other was an outline similar to the maiden's form and inside her outline silhouette were green roots similar to the ones inside Cheza's body, only they looked thicker and more elaborate. Cher assumed they were veins and the complementary outline on the screen was a human—until she saw the contour transform into a wolf outline. Behind them was information—files and updates about the figures on the screen before her.

"So much data…" the young scientist murmured, incredulous. "What is this?"

Darcia III came up from behind Cher, completely unfazed by the diagram shown before them. "It's another one of my family's creations; it was developed by my younger brother. She was created in a similar way Cheza was blossomed. We call her Lupe."

"Lupe?" Cher quickly turned her attention to the Noble and turned it back to the screen.

"Yes. Now you see, you only know the slightest fraction about Cheza."

Cher scrutinized the wolf silhouette thoughtfully. When she saw Cheza in the forest, she seemed very attached to the wolves. Was it true? Was Cheza part of something bigger? "Is what was written in _The Book of the Moon_ the truth?" she thought aloud.

"Tell me," Darcia said, "do you believe what you've read?"

Cher looked at the man firmly. "I've seen them… I've seen wolves. They were running together by Cheza's side."

"Hm… I see." Darcia's eyes did not move from the screen as he listened to the woman.

"I'm sure of it now." Her gaze fell elsewhere as she continued to reminisce about her discoveries the day before. "They were the same wolves who turned up in the city—the same ones who first appeared when Cheza… _awakened_. But I don't understand what they or that"—she pointed at the wolf outline that abruptly changed into back a human—"have to do with Cheza."

"They will be the key to Paradise."

Cher looked at the man, dubious. "To Paradise?"

Darcia did not reply. His attention was on the screen, which was now beeping nonstop. The two figures on the screen—Cheza's form and the now humanoid figure adjacent to her—were coming closer together.

"What's happening?"

Darcia was still silent. He simply turned his head to the woman, a sinister smile curling on his lips.

* * *

><p>"This is taking forever," Toboe said. "How much longer?"<p>

"We haven't been in the Forest of Death for long, so quit your griping," Tora said. "Tsuki knows where she's going. Your friends appear to be lost. This forest will do that to anybody, even if they are wolves."

Toboe shivered. The thought of losing his friends in this barren wasteland was mortifying. "Will they be okay?"

"I don't know. I think your friends will be fine, but who knows how long Cheza will last without any natural resources."

That made Toboe's worries heighten. Cheza was a delicate flower; a trip in the Forest of Death must be excruciating for her. With no water or sunlight, she could wither away. How would they get to Paradise without her? They needed to get there together, and losing Cheza would be worse than losing the key to Paradise.

"We must hurry," Tsuki said. She quickened her pace each second. She was suddenly in her wolf form and ran as fast as she could, forgetting about her companions who were lagging behind.

"Something must have happened to Cheza," Tora said. "Come on!"

"Oh no! Cheza!"

The two male wolves ran as fast as they could to catch up to Tsuki, who was now in front of a cave. "They went in there," the she-wolf said.

"In there?" Toboe squeaked.

"Let's not waste anymore time." As Tora began to walk ahead, Tsuki grabbed his sleeve before he could talk another step.

"Wait." She pointed up at the trees. Tora and Toboe followed her gaze. They saw an owl perched on a branch, staring at them with its beady blue eyes.

"Oh no. Not him," Tora said, glaring at the bird.

"Who is that?" Toboe asked.

"He's a very demented bird. He must be the reason why your friends almost got lost, and why they entered the cave in the first place."

"_The answer lies within the darkness. The answer lies within confined spaces. Only those who bravely enter will be rewarded_…" The owl stopped speaking after that and continued to stare at the trio.

"Is that a riddle?" Toboe asked. "What's he saying?"

"He wants us to enter the cave," Tora answered. "That bird uses riddles to confuse anyone who enters the forest. Your friends obviously listened. I can still smell flowers."

Toboe sniffed the air. The only thing he could smell was Cheza. The scent was stronger than before. "Should we follow them?"

"It's the only way to leave this place." The two turned to see that Tsuki was already running inside the cave. "Tsuki!"

"Hey, wait up!" As Toboe ran after his two companions, he heard the reverberating sound of the owl's voice.

"_Bravely enter… Bravely enter… Bravely enter…_"

Toboe shivered. He was only receiving chilling vibes from the owl; that was not a good for his friends. The owl sounded helpful, but it seemed that only disaster was going their way when they listened. Toboe started sprinting to catch up to his companions. The cave was creepier inside than out and everywhere he stepped there were bones. Some of the skeletons looked like birds—specifically an owl.

"Toboe, hurry up!" he heard Tora call out to him. He tried running faster, but it was hard to tell where he was going. Everything looked the same. Luckily, Tora and Tsuki's scents were still lingering.

As soon as he caught up, the black wolf grabbed his arm and pulled him behind on of the pillars in the cave. Toboe fell back on the ground. "Ow! Why'd y—?"

"_Shh!_" Tora hushed the pup. Toboe listened. He looked to his left to see Tsuki hiding behind one of the other pillars. He wondered why they had to be so quiet.

"Tora, what—"

He held a finger to his lips and the pup stayed quiet again. After another moment of silence, Tora muttered, "Beetle larvae."

"What?"

"Your friends are being attacked by beetle larvae," he said as a matter of fact. "Listen."

Toboe listened for a moment and heard the howls and shrill bays of his friends and what sounded like the beetle larvae Tora had mentioned attacking them. "Why are we just sitting here? They're in trouble!" Toboe ran out from behind the pillar and into the fray to help his friends.

Meanwhile, Kiba, Tsume, and Hige fought off the bugs that were trying to eat Cheza. Cheza was safely put at a higher elevation so the bugs couldn't get to her. As they fought, the band of bugs multiplied. Each kill they made, more want after them.

"Damn, they won't stop coming!" Hige said.

"Don't quit yet, porky!" Tsume said.

Suddenly, a howl broke out and the wolves stopped a moment to see their friend Toboe joining them. "Toboe!" they all called him.

"Glad you could finally join the party, runt," Hige said.

"Where were you?" Tsume asked.

"After you-know-who?"

Toboe blushed. "N-No!"

The reunited gang joined each other side-by-side and faced the hoard of larvae. "Are wolves gonna lose to a bunch of bugs?" Tsume said with a smirk on his face.

"Though I must admit we both like to hang around flowers," Toboe stated.

Hige grunted. "Nicely said, runt."

"Here they come," Kiba said. Soon, the four of them were wolves once again, fighting off the bug menace and tearing them to pieces.

Meanwhile, Cheza, in her tired form, struggled to look at her wolf cohorts as they fought the bugs that continued to attack them. She smiled when she saw Toboe again, but it quickly went away when she saw another bug jump on him. He quickly threw it to the ground and crashed into green slime. The others wolves did the same. The gore and blood was making her uncomfortable. She didn't want her friends to go through this alone. They had to leave before it was too late.

Cheza struggled to get up and was shortly stopped by hand grasping her arm. Though the hand was coarse, it was still soft on her fair skin. "Don't be alarmed, Cheza. It's me," a voice spoke. "Don't worry. We're going to take you to the water."

Her vision was becoming blurry and she could only distinguish two obscure characters: a man, the one who spoke to her, who was black and white, and a girl. She felt a peculiar aura from that girl, like the one she felt in the shoddy town. When the man mentioned water, she knew she could trust them.

As he lifted her up from the ground, Cheza heard someone else speaking to her.

_Food…_

_Bugs…_

_Hungry…_

"That way," she said, pointing in the direction she heard the voices. "This one hears something…" Her head fell back limply as she fell into unconsciousness.

Tora glanced at the benumbed Flower Maiden in his arms before turning to Tsuki. They didn't need to say anything. He nodded and Tsuki led him in the direction Cheza had pointed to. They ricocheted off the cave walls to avoid the battle below.

Kiba stopped fighting for a moment when he saw the two wolves in the air. He sensed Cheza's scent leaving the cave with them. He snarled at the wolves, which caught his friends' attention. "They're taking Cheza away!" he told them.

"What!" Hige exclaimed.

The group looked up to see Cheza being carried by a black wolf alongside a younger gray wolf. Toboe gasped when he saw his new friends running away with Cheza. He didn't want to believe they betrayed him. And Cheza would've shouted for help if she was in real danger.

"Let's go!" Tsume suddenly said.

"No!" His friends didn't listen. Toboe ran after his friends, lacerated and weak. They didn't know about Tora and Tsuki, which was his mistake. Forgot to tell his friends about them, and now they were in trouble.

_What have I gotten myself into?_

* * *

><p><em><strong>R&amp;R!<strong>_


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter III**

When Toboe finally caught up to his friends, he saw that they weren't fighting. Yet.

He observed his friends' faces skeptical looks: Kiba was growling at Tora while his gaze was on Cheza, Tsume was looking at Tsuki uneasily, and Hige looked between Kiba, Tora, Tsuki, Tsume, and Toboe, clearly dumbfounded by the situation. He seemed to be the only one out of the loop.

Interrupting the tense silence, Kiba finally questioned the black wolf before him, "Who are you?"

Tora did nothing but stare at the boy, which made him even madder. He would've pounced at the man if Cheza wasn't in his arms.

"Put her down," Kiba commanded. Once again, Tora did nothing. "Put her down!"

Tsuki was snarling at their new foe, but she stayed back because she didn't want to cause an unnecessary wrangle. She also had a strange feeling in her gut as she glowered at the opposing alpha. It felt like the same distraught feeling she had in the shady town. Realization hit her; these were the same boys she passed on the road in that town. The feeling in her gut made her nauseous and she now wanted to just run away. She felt more uncomfortable when she glanced at the older-looking wolf. He was looking at her apprehensively, and a feeling of recognizance replaced the anxiety.

She then glanced at Toboe, who was also looking at her, but the look in his eyes was more fretful. He knew the situation was starting to make her feel distressed, so he decided to intervene. "Guys! Don't fight!" he shouted, stepping between Tora and Kiba.

"Stay out of this, Toboe," Kiba snapped at him.

"No! Tora's not a threat. He helped me get to the cave."

Kiba skimmed his new rival before turning to Toboe again.

"Then why the hell did he steal Cheza?" Hige asked, beating Kiba to the punch.

"He was just trying to help. Cheza obviously trusts him since she didn't say anything." He gave the black wolf a pleading look. He hoped that was why he took Cheza; he hoped he wasn't just tricking him the entire time they'd spent together.

"The pup's right," Tora said. "I wanted to take the Flower Maiden out of here before she was eaten alive while the rest of you fought. She asked me to take her here."

"You guys," Hige spoke up again. "Where is here?"

The conflict between the groups ebbed away when Hige brought that to their attention. They realized they were too busy—they weren't sure what they had been doing—to notice that they were no longer in the bug-dominated cavern. They were surrounded by alien plants with serrated-looking jaws.

Cheza suddenly awoke from her slumber. Tora quickly noticed this and set her down. Kiba took this opportunity to go to her aid. "Cheza." He caressed her cheek. She gave him a glowing yet exhausted smile.

"Don't worry… this one is fine."

He sighed in relief. "Thank goodness." Her breath was still shallow, but Kiba was relieved to know that she was still in one piece.

"This one heard them. They said they were hungry." Cheza gestured to the plant-like creatures inhabiting the area. Some of the bugs that had attacked them crawled across the rigid plain. One of them crawled into the mouth of one of the plants, and its jaws immediately snapped shut.

Tsume then spoke up, "They're plants that eat bugs, huh?" He seemed rather impressed by this.

"I guess this means we were saved by Cheza's friends," Hige said.

Beyond the animalistic plants, Toboe could see a light protruding from a hole. He ran up to it to get a closer view to confirm what he saw. He smiled giddily and shouted to his friends, "Hey guys! I see light! It's the way out!"

He ran out first and his friends quickly followed him. As soon as he was outside, Toboe beamed when he saw the moon. He turned around to his friends, who were still following him. "There's water!" he exclaimed. "And check it out, there's moonlight, too!"

"Water, yes!" Hige dashed for the giant pool with Toboe and Tsume on his tail.

Tora, Tsuki, Kiba and Cheza were the only ones who didn't rush. Cheza, even in her feeble state, looked at the site, breathless. Kiba looked the same. "Look Cheza," he said, "there's your water. Now you can…"

"This one will be able… to eat and drink all it wants," she finished for him.

He smiled at her. "Yeah." He carried her to the lake where their friends were fooling around—except for Tsume, who only tried to prevent Hige from drowning Toboe.

Meanwhile, Tora and Tsuki watched as the Flower Maiden basked in the moonlight, drinking up the water that saturated into her skin. He looked away from the spectacle to look at his young friend beside him. He had seen the way she looked earlier, how uncomfortable she must've felt confronting strangers—Toboe's friends, but strangers nonetheless. He had only seen her look so frightened once, but Tora wasn't one to reminisce about the past. "Are you alright?" he asked her.

Tsuki, who was still fascinated by the site before her, quickly looked up at her older companion, and smiled. "I'm fine," she said. They both knew that was a lie, but neither one of them wanted to talk about it.

Upon seeing his new friends, Toboe climbed out of the lake and ran up to Tsuki. She no longer seemed unnerving, but she did look a bit strange. Her skin was pale and glowing dimly. "Are you feeling better, Tsuki?" She shyly nodded. "That's good. I hope my friends didn't scare you."

"Tsuki's not used to meeting new people," Tora confessed. Tsuki became flustered. "But she's warmed up to you quickly, Toboe. You must be special."

Toboe blushed. "I-I don't think I'm that special."

Tora smirked. His gaze then drifted to their audience. Kiba was glaring at him again, but he just shrugged him off. The kid was not as intimidating as he attempted to be. The other two were looking at Tsuki, particularly. The older man wearing leather scrutinized her in a proverbial manner. The other boy was looking at her in a way that didn't please Tora at all. Blocking his view, Tora said, "I think we better leave now, Tsuki."

"What?" Toboe knew what he was getting at. He could also see his friends giving Tora and Tsuki weird looks, especially Hige, who was looking at Tsuki like a piece of meat. Tsume looked neutral, which was very unusual; he had never seen him like that. Kiba was now next to Cheza, who was also gazing at the glowing Tsuki.

"You guys—!" He stopped abruptly when he saw Cheza walking towards them. Tora and Toboe looked at her, but Tsuki backed away. She changed form at the moment of fear, continually striding back as the Flower Maiden approached her. When she was close enough, Cheza reached out her hand to touch the pup's muzzle. Tsuki froze as soon as she felt the Maiden's touch, recognition and ecstasy surged through her body, visibly making her quake. Cheza pulled her in for a hug and stroked the wolf pup's coat to try and console her.

"This one... this one is happy once more," she spoke softly into the pup's ear, although everyone else could still hear her. "This one has found Tsuki."

* * *

><p><em>Toboe ran through the bountiful field of flowers carelessly like the pup he was. He couldn't recognize a single plant in the field, but he didn't care. He was free: free from trouble, free from sadness, free from danger, just free. Across the field of alien carnations, an old woman was sitting in a rickety rocking chair, knitting and smiling as the pup played.<em>

_This was his Paradise._

_Toboe couldn't have been happier at the moment._

"_Toboe," he heard a voice sing out his name. "Toboe…" The voice was smooth like silk and very particular. He ran to the voice, reluctantly leaving Granny to rock and knit in the field. He felt attracted to voice; he'd only felt this way whenever he was with Cheza, only this felt like…_

_He couldn't even describe it; it gave him such a wonderful feeling._

_He soon stumbled upon a lake—the same lake where he and his friends found Cheza, only the lake was blue and a waterfall fell through the carved arch. A girl clad in a white dress stood in the middle of the lake. Her hair shimmered like moonlight and her tan skin glistened off the water. When she turned, Toboe had butterflies in his stomach._

"_Toboe…" the girl sang again. Her eyes were closed and her mouth held the warmest smile he had ever seen. She held her hand out to him expectantly. The warm feeling in Toboe's gut turned to familiarity. He transformed into his innocent human essence instinctively. "Toboe…"_

_He walked forward into the lake and extended out to take her hand. Once her hand was in his grasp, a lukewarm sensation surged through his body, which made him reluctant to let go of her hand. Her smile was wider and he too began to show off his cheeky grin. The girl's eyes fluttered open and Toboe's smile ceased._

_Her eyes were wholly red._

-X-

Toboe woke up in a cold sweat. That was the second time he dreamed of Paradise—the Paradise he imagined every time he fell asleep. This image was different, though.

Toboe moaned as he sat up. He hadn't even remembered falling asleep last night. The only thing he could remember was Cheza and…

"Tsuki." Toboe felt strange. The girl in his dreams looked exactly like Tsuki. She had her tan skin, her silvery hair, her beautiful face. The only thing that differentiated them was their eyes. The girl in his dreams had unusually red eyes, like Cheza's. He felt the dream had some kind of meaning, but there were a few things he still didn't understand.

Something tugged his pant leg, making the pup shiver. It was Tsuki, who was still asleep. Toboe blushed.

_We must've been sleeping together the whole night._

The she-pup yawned, stretching out her limbs and fluttering her eyes. Once her lids were open, they revealed dazzling sky blue eyes, not red.

When she was fully conscious, she stared up at him in alarm. Her face suddenly glowed like a tomato. He laughed nervously. "Did you sleep well?" She jumped up and hastily ran away from him. "Smooth, Toboe," he scolded himself. He slowly rose from his spot and went in the direction she fled.

All of his friends were already awake. Tsume was leaning against a tree with his arms crossed, and Hige sat on the ground beside him griping for food. Kiba, Cheza, and Tora were the only ones who missing from the party—and of course Tsuki. He hoped nobody would bring her up.

"Morning, runt!" Hige shouted. "Did you have nice dreams sleeping with you-know-who?"

Toboe blushed. He should've expected Hige to tease him about it, but regardless, he still didn't want to remember it. "I-I don't know."

"Shut up, Hige," Tsume said. "Leave Toboe alone."

Hige scowled at him. "Geez, what's up your ass?"

The older male only grunted. With his hands now in his pockets, he walked away from his two companions.

"What's up with him?" asked Toboe.

"Beats me. He's been in a grumpy mood since this morning."

"He has?"

Toboe had also noticed Tsume's unusual behavior last night. He wasn't angry at anybody, but he wasn't necessarily happy when they finally left the cave, either. He was staring at Tsuki the whole time. He looked like he was seeing a lost relative. Did Tsume possibly know Tsuki? Tsuki didn't seem to recognize him at all, yet Tsume had that look on his face…

"Where are the others?" Toboe asked, breaking away from his thoughts.

Hige scratched his head. "Kiba's talking with that guy… what's his name?"

"Tora."

"Yeah, him. Kiba just wants to know who he is and other things you wouldn't understand."

Toboe stuck his nose up. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Ah, don't think about it too hard, runt. Kiba's just acting as the leader, again. I think Cheza's also with them." He stood up from his spot by the tree's base. "Hey, I've got an idea. Let's find something to eat."

"You mean, let's find something for you to eat," Toboe joked.

"Whatever, runt," Hige murmured. "You snooze, you lose."

The two wolves began their hunt without leaving the perimeter. Hige was sniffing every which way while Toboe scouted blindly. Sometimes he wished his scent was as keen as Hige's. Then again, he thought that might not be such a good idea. He might have been the reason why the older wolf was such a pig.

A growl erupted from his stomach, causing him to wince. He didn't know how hungry he was until now. He didn't know how long he had been searching, but it seemed futile. There was no other life among the trees, except for the birds that disdainfully flew above the famished pup. He never liked birds.

He wandered around for a while when he realized he lost Hige. Or maybe he was lost. He didn't know anymore. He just wanted to find something to eat before heading back to the others. Suddenly, Toboe tripped of a gangly root and landed flat on his face. "OW!" He sat up quickly and rubbed his head. At least nothing was damaged. He stopped the motion and his ears perked up. He could hear the trickling of water and something… frothy. He was by the lake.

He peeked through the shrubbery in front of him. His eyes dilated at what he saw. A girl, one as radiant and beautiful as the one in his dreams, was standing in the middle of the lake. Her back was facing him, but he could still see _a lot_. Her shirt was about as short as her shorts, which only covered about less than a quarter of her body. Her arms, which were shielded by arm-length gloves, stretched out before her. She suddenly began twirling in place. The frothing sound he heard earlier were her legs, which took turns as she pirouetted around in the lake. She reminded Toboe of a swan, with her white clothes bonded to her skin as she flayed her arms around in smooth, collaborated motions. Her skin glowed as the water sprayed her skin.

It felt like déjà vu. She was the same girl. She was the same beauty that haunted his dreams last night, dancing in a lake where he found her. Yet, it wasn't her. Now he was confused again. He was gaining a headache just looking at her.

Her form suddenly transformed into a canine, and she ran unceremoniously in the water. Toboe's face glowed red. It was Tsuki he was spying on!

"AH!" He fell back and receded to a tree. Then he jumped up and ran. She probably heard him, he figured, and he was already in deep water with her when she awoke next to his side. He didn't want her to hate him even more. And if she found him in the bushes, Tora would eventually find out, and he feared what a guy like him would do to a pup as meek as him.

He suddenly bumped into something hard and bounced back from the impact. He gasped when he saw what he really bumped into. "Tsume!"

The older man glared at the pup and grunted. "Watch where you're going."

"Sorry!" Toboe sped off.

Tsume's brow rose. He wondered why the pup was in such a hurry. Then again, what did it matter? Toboe was afraid of everything.

He started to walk off again when something else began to emerge from the bushes. Tsuki walked through the shrubbery while putting on her coat. Tsume stopped and stared as she put on the peculiar wool jacket, unaware that he was even watching. Something gleamed off her neck, which made him suspicious of her even more. When she was dressed, she looked up and froze at the sight of the older male. He was quite intimidating to look at, yet she felt he wasn't. Something inside her began to stir. Although she felt strange internally, her stare was impassive, even as she stared at the intriguing _X_ on his chest; he looked the same as he glimpsed into her intriguing sky blue eyes.

She took the first step and walked off. He waited for her to disappear before he began to walk through the woods casually again.

_It's not her_, Tsume told himself. _It's not her_.

* * *

><p>"Who are you?" Kiba interrogated the older man. He confronted Tora a few minutes before as soon as he woke up. He was the first one up, which didn't make Kiba feel any better. He couldn't trust this man until he got some answers. "You stink of man, yet you can disguise yourself as a wolf. Why? Who are you hiding from? Did you help Toboe just to gain something from us?" His eyes narrowed. "Are you here for Cheza?" The said Maiden stood aloof, tracing her fingers along the vegetation surrounding the area. She was paying close attention to their conversation, at the same time, making sure they didn't know she was listening.<p>

Tora leaned against a nearby tree in the shadows, which made him seem more cryptic. His arms were crossed, and one leg crossed over the other. "Who I am is none of your concern, and my true form is out of the question. As for the Maiden... she could be useful to me." A growl rumbled in Kiba's chest, which made Tora grin. "Calm down. I'm not after her. I don't need her where I'm going. If I took her with me, she'd be as good as dead."

Tora stepped out of the shadows with his hands cradled in his coat pockets. "I saved your young friend because I'm interested in what sort of pack would leave a pup by himself. So far... well, let's say you haven't lost my interest yet."

"Glad to please," said Kiba, sardonically.

"You all seem to be after some certain goal," said Tora

"Of course we are. We're wolves."

"Yes, I'm aware of the given, but that's not what I meant." He stopped walking once face-to-face with his opponent. "You're going after Paradise, aren't you?" The younger male didn't reply, so he continued, "I know that look anywhere. I've seen that determined look on many wolves' faces once before, especially Tsuki's, but," he took his gaze away from Kiba for a moment and looked at Cheza, "she's been broken. You see, Tsuki was much like you, but then... well I'm not one to dwell upon the past. I think you understand my point."

Kiba's gaze soon followed his, but then Tora quickly turned away. He glared at the pale man. "What is your point?"

Tora opened his mouth to answer when a _crunch_ crackled through the premises. Tsuki emerged from behind a tree slowly approaching Tora while putting her hair in a ponytail. Cheza, who was currently kneeling to touch a flower, popped up from her spot and ran to the pup. She froze when the Flower Maiden hugged her for the second time. She looked to Tora for help.

"Cheza," he said. She looked over at the older man innocently. "I'd like to speak with Tsuki for a moment, if you don't mind."

She reluctantly released the pup, who immediately glued to Tora's side as soon as she was free. He put an arm around her shoulder and led her away from Kiba and Cheza.

"Tora!" Kiba shouted. He never got his answer.

"Ask Cheza," he simply said. The two wolves disappeared behind the trees. Kiba narrowed his eyes again. Who was that guy, and what business did he have of Cheza?

"Kiba!" He turned to see all of his friends joining him and Cheza. Toboe ran up to him with a haggard look on his extremely red face; Hige was groaning and mumbling about his ravenous hunger; Tsume walked in casually looking as indifferent as ever. Kiba looked dubiously at his friends. Cheza was Cheza.

"So, what'd that guy tell you?" Tsume asked.

"Yeah," said Hige. "Who the hell is he? And how does he know who Cheza is?"

"I don't know," Kiba answered. "He only told me he's interested in us, and he knows we're searching for Paradise."

"He's 'interested in us?' The hell's that supposed to mean?"

"It means he knows our pack is unusual," Tsume answered. "And I'd have to agree with him."

"Hey, we're not that strange a pack, are we? I mean, Kiba's the alpha male, isn't he? So that automatically makes Cheza—"

"Don't say it," Kiba growled. Hige held his hands up in defense.

"If Kiba's the alpha, that means the rest of us can't mate with any females," Tsume stated. "That means no flirting with the she-wolf, porky.

Even though he looked offended, Hige was actually disappointed by that fact. There were only two things that were really important to Hige: food and babes. If he couldn't have babes, the only thing he had left was food, and even if he couldn't get the girls, that didn't mean he was going to drive them away with his gluttony.

"Well then, I guess Toboe is the omega wolf, since he's the youngest."

Everybody expected Toboe to make an outburst, but he didn't react. He just stood in his place, staring in the distance. It was strange to see Toboe so distant from the conversation. Even though they only spent some time together, Toboe grew bonds with new people rather quickly, and he knew Tora and Tsuki better than the rest of them. But how much had they changed him?

"Toboe," Kiba called him.

He blinked twice before answering. "What—oh! Sorry, I was just thinking…"

"About you-know-who?"

Toboe ignored his older, immature friend. "I was thinking… maybe Tora and Tsuki want to join us."

"Toboe may be right," Tsume agreed. "We've obviously grabbed that guy's attention, and Cheza has especially hooked onto that girl."

"Yeah," said Hige. "Remember what she said last night? She called her 'Tsuki.' She already knew that girl's name before any of us did."

Kiba thought for a moment. Maybe those two weren't a threat, but maybe they were, subconsciously. Tsuki didn't look as wicked as Tora, though; she could've been as innocent and naïve as Toboe. But she already had a relationship with Cheza, which made him feel a bit… he didn't know. He had never felt this way before, and he didn't like it. It was beginning to make him angry again.

"I say we just leave them," Tsume spoke up again. "We don't know whether to trust this guy or not."

"But Cheza trusts Tsuki," Toboe said. "And I trust them both."

"I don't care whether they come with us or not!" Hige exclaimed. "This isn't doing us any good. This argument is just leading us in circles!"

"He's right." Kiba turned to Cheza. Maybe asking her would help him get some answers.

_Ask Cheza._

"What do you think, Cheza?"

The Maiden looked sadly at the flowers before looking at Kiba. "This one trusts them. This one doesn't want Tsuki to leave. She makes this one feel… warm."

Everybody stared at the Flower Maiden. She had never expressed her feelings to a wolf in such a way except when it was about Kiba. This Tsuki girl, whoever she was, must've been extremely important.

"Now what do we do?" Hige asked Kiba.

"We wait."

Meanwhile, a hawk soared through the air, its majestic wings laid steady in the breeze. It swiftly dove into the jungle of oaks and firs looking for its master. In one instant move, it perched itself on the arm of its master. He untied the message on his leg and read the short parcel. He swore under his breath. "Damn." The girl looked up at him nervously. "Jaguara's forces are moving towards Darcia's Keep."

"What should we do now, Tora?" Tsuki asked.

The man clad in black reread the note before stuffing it in his coat pocket. "There's not much left we can do."

Her gaze went back to the ground as she brushed her hand through the dewy grass. "Are we still going to see him?"

"No," he immediately said. "You're not."

Her hand pulled the grass with edge. She looked up at him with fearful eyes. "No."

"Tsuki, you're staying—"

"No!" Tsuki stood her ground. Her hands balled up into fists that were securely stuck to her side. Her eyes were blazing with a fiery passion that Tora hadn't in her before. It almost made him proud. "I'm going with you." Her voice was hard.

"No, Tsuki. You're staying with them. I'm sure they'll take care of you. Better than I have. I'm going to see him, and it'll be too risky for me to bring you along."

"But… but Tora—!"

"My word is _final_, Tsuki." She flinched back. He only spoke to her in that tone if there was no time for further discussion. She didn't have any more say in his decision.

Tsuki's head fell down again, and she sat on a flat rock. She heard his footsteps thump louder as he walked up to her. He knelt in front of her, placing a hand on her cheek, forcing her to look him in the face. His face looked sincere. She suddenly felt bad. He was only thinking what was best for her. She shouldn't have been so defiant. "We won't be separated for long, Tsuki. Stay close to Toboe. I'm sure he'll treat you well. And who knows, maybe they can help you retain your memory."

She nodded. "Okay."

They both stood up and walked back to the pack. The wolves had been waiting patiently—surprisingly, Hige had nothing more to say—and watched the other two as they approached them. Tora put his hand on Tsuki back as she hesitated to get any closer to them.

"Tsuki will join you on your journey," Tora announced. "I have somewhere else to be, and I don't want her in any peril."

Everybody gawked at the man.

"What are you—" Hige began, but he was shortly interrupted by the alpha male.

"We'll take care of her."

Tora nodded to him. He turned to Toboe last. Passing the wolves, he put a hand on the pup's shoulder and whispered, "Take care of her for me." Then he disappeared into the shadows.

Toboe couldn't move. He didn't know why Tora would put this kind of responsibility on him. He was just a kid, a pup. All his life, everyone had been taking care of him—Granny, Tsume, the rest of the pack, even Tora and Tsuki. Now it was his turn to be responsible. He had never felt so scared.

Tsuki stared at Toboe, watching a sweat droplet fall from his brow. She could tell he was nervous. Toboe obviously had no experience taking care of others. They were the same age, so this task should be easy enough for him, she thought. She just had to make it easy for him.

She stepped forward, but then Toboe's view was suddenly blocked by a larger figure. "Hey," the boy said. She stepped back. He was too eager for his own good. "I'm Hige. It's nice to finally have a she-wolf in the pack.

Toboe frowned. Something in him made him feel enraged and a little too overprotective. A snarl broke out, but not from him. He looked to the side to see Tsume's snarling at Hige, which made him completely taken aback.

"Cut it out, Hige," Tsume said. "Stop scaring her."

The perverted wolf nearly flinched at Tsume's daunting voice. Why did he care so much about what he did with the girl?

"Fine." The hungry wolf looked at Kiba. "So are we getting out of here or what?"

Kiba ignored him. He had been watching Toboe and Tsume the whole time, especially Tsume. He wondered why he would get so worked up over a girl he didn't know. Or maybe he did know her. Maybe this was why Tora left her with them. It was another mystery of Tsuki that he was yet to find out about.

Cheza happily gazed at the newest member of their pack. She felt safer knowing Tsuki would be traveling with them from now on. But she was confused as to why she kept avoiding her. Tsuki didn't seem to recognize who she was. The Flower Maiden was part of a disproved, scientific myth; she was commonly known among many wolves, yet Tsuki seemed to have forgotten...

_Anything lost can be found._

The group began their journey again as if the recent events had never occurred. Tsuki stood in place as she watched her new companions trudge forward. She was frozen, and afraid. She didn't like fear, she didn't like the feeling of being weak, and she didn't want to look it, not in front of her them. But she couldn't take the first step.

"Tsuki." A hand took hold of hers and nearly startled her. A smile was graced on his face, making her blush. "Let's go."

Toboe tugged her hand lightly before leading her to the others. The fear contained in her chest suddenly disappeared. She didn't know why her emotions were so dynamic. This pack was making her question many things about herself. But being with Toboe alone was different. He had a shy nature, but he was still full of energy, lively like pups their age, and he was very trustworthy. She was also shy when meeting new people, but she had quickly adjusted to Toboe like Tora had said last night, even though they had only known each other for two days.

Her hand clasped his securely and she breathed a sigh of relief. As she embraced the warmth of his hand, she began to relax, not having to worry about anything. She didn't even notice the blush that glowed on Toboe's face.

* * *

><p><strong><em>R&amp;R!<em>**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter IV**

Hubb Lebowski was at a loss. He had been looking for his ex-wife, Cher Degré, ever since she left the Freeze City. The only clue he had of her was the scarf he gave her and _The Book of the Moon_. It was dangerous carrying around a banned piece of literature, but Cher asked him to keep it with him for some reason. He skimmed through some of the pages to see if anything in the book would give him a clue, but there was nothing he sought useful and a few of the pages were missing while others were blank.

He hid behind a wall, disappointed by his unsuccessful effort. He didn't know what to do now. He had no connections to anybody who used to work with Cher and no clue if she was still alive. This was turning out to be a bad day.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" A young woman suddenly clung to his neck. "Come on, let's go." The next thing he knew, Hubb was dragged away by this woman. She wrapped both arms around his left one as they walked in a casual stead. "Just keep walking. Pretend we're old friends," the woman said.

"Who are you?" he finally asked.

"I used to work in the same lab as Dr. Degré."

Hubb gasped. "Where have you been all this time? I've been trying to track you people down for weeks, but it's as if you all vanished. And every trace of the lab's existence has been erased."

"It was shut down by agents of the Intelligence Bureau who report directly to the House of Lords."

"But why?"

"It's Cheza. She was stolen by someone over a month ago."

Hubb stopped in his tracks. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. If Cheza was stolen, that meant someone would have to go after her. Cher worked so desperately to learn everything about the Flower Maiden. There was no doubt in his mind that she went after the people who stole her.

Hubb took the woman into an alley and had her back to the wall. "What about Cher?" he demanded.

"Dr. Degré went with the retrieval team to help find the Flower Maiden. Sorry, I don't have any idea where they went, but I'm sure the doctor's alright."

This woman was being very helpful, too helpful. If she'd known she would get in trouble for telling him this information, he wondered what kind of motive she had. "Why are you…?"

"It's because she used to talk about you all the time," she explained. "I hope you find her."

He smiled. "Thanks for that."

"Let's leave it at that lovely sentiment, shall we Detective Lebowski?" The two were suddenly surrounded by the town's police force. Hubb recognized the speaker as their captain. "I suppose I should call you by your new title: Subject Lebowski. The House of Lords has issued a warrant for your immediate arrest. Please, come with me…"

* * *

><p>The wolf pack was still adjusting to their new member. Tsuki, the shy and subtle wolf left behind by a man named Tora, didn't seem to trust anyone, except for Toboe. It was understandable since they were the same age and she had known him longer than the rest of them, but she never liked being near the other wolves. She never left Toboe's side, and he never left hers.<p>

And they were very aware that everyone was observing them. Kiba was more vigilante of Cheza, who always tried to join Tsuki's side, but was merely shunned. Tsume tried to ignore them, but he couldn't help but watch the gray pup. Seeing Toboe by her side made him feel on edge. Hige, being Hige, tried to make the situation humorous, whispering perverted jokes in Toboe's ear, making the pup turn completely red.

The gang stopped a moment to rest and find food. However, the only available prey was the birds in the trees. "How are we gonna catch them?" Hige asked.

"We could continue to bask in the moonlight," Kiba said. "It'll save our energy and last us until we enter the next town."

"There ain't no moonlight, just broad daylight! And I'm tired of waiting a whole day just to bask under that giant rock! I need meat!"

"I agree with porky," Tsume said. "We can't wait until night for the moon, but," he turned to Hige, "we can't waste our energy chasing birds in the trees. And I don't think you're that flexible."

Hige scowled. "What's that supposed to mean!"

Toboe, Tsuki, and Cheza watched as their friends argued. Cheza frowned and Toboe sighed. Tsuki was very confused. "Don't worry, Tsuki," Toboe said. "It's like this all the time. Usually, Cheza interferes and everyone eventually calms down."

"Aren't you going to do something?" Tsuki asked.

"If I did, they'd just bark at me. Besides," she didn't miss the dejected glint in his eyes, "I'm just the runt."

Tsuki pitied Toboe for a moment. She frowned when she glanced back at the three older wolves. If it was like this all the time, then they were going nowhere. And she wouldn't wait for Cheza to join the fray; she hated waiting.

She released Toboe's hand and ran up to a tree. A bird's nest was perched on a branch very high from where they were standing. She jumped onto the branch below it, using the higher branch to balance herself, and looked at her target. One bird rested in the nest staring at her with its beady eyes. She hated that mocking stare.

"Tsuki…?"

She held a finger to her lips inquiring silence. Toboe watched curiously. She was planning on hunting the birds like Hige had suggested, but he wondered how she would do it. Birds were clever—not that wolves weren't clever, but no wolf he ever knew tried to catch a bird while it was still in a tree.

In a flash, Tsuki jumped over the bird and kicked down the branch that held up the nest. It fell down, along with the bird, which was too slow to fly away.

The others stopped their argument when they heard the_ crunch!_ of the wood. They saw Tsuki, now in her wolf form, holding a dead bird in her mouth.

"How the hell…?" Hige began.

Tsume smirked. She had the right idea, and all they were doing was fighting about how they were going to feed themselves. He began walking away from the gang to find his own food just like Tsuki had.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Hige asked.

"I'm hunting on my own. We're wasting time just arguing about nonsense." He walked away without saying another word.

"There he goes again."

"You know he's right," Kiba said. "If we can't wait for the moon, we have to hunt."

"What?"

"You suggested it."

"Yeah, but—"

"Guys!" Toboe said. "Let's just hunt on our own. It's better than nothing."

"Are you sure you can handle it, runt?" Hige asked. "Or are you going to let your girlfriend do all the hunting for ya?"

Toboe became flustered and Tsuki scowled at the older wolf. Why did he always have to pick on Toboe? She relaxed herself and changed into her human persona again. She took the bird corpse in one hand, took Toboe's hand in the other, and pulled him away. If he couldn't stand up for himself, she would teach him how, starting with hunting for his own food.

"Tsuki, what are you—"

She took her hand away and put a finger to her lips. When he was quiet, she began pulling him again until they were far away from the others. She eventually stopped and pointed up toward another tree that had a similar bird's nest. Two birds were visible. She then turned to him again. "Listen to me," she said softly. "I want you to do what I did and hunt down those birds. Or at least one of them."

"What?"

"Listen. I don't like the way Hige keeps putting you down. You need to stand up for yourself. Now, the least you can do is go up there and come back down with one of those birds in your mouth."

Her face was stern. It made him a bit nervous. He never tried getting food on his own. The only time he had was in Freeze City, but the only thing he could obtain was trash. "Alright…"

Toboe jumped from branch to branch until he was under the birds. They stared back at him curiously, most likely wondering what he was going to do. He bent down, lunged up, and tried to copy what Tsuki had did before. Unfortunately, when he did, the birds already flew away before he landed on their perch. He fell on the branch and bruised his back. "Ow!"

"Toboe!"

He groaned as he steadied himself on the branch. "I'm okay!" He looked back up at the flying birds. He swore they were mocking him.

"Don't worry." She pointed up to another tree where one bird was now perched. "You still have another chance."

"Okay." Toboe tried again, and this time, he was able to entrap the bird and brought down in one swipe. The bird fell to the bottom, its wings twitched as it tried to move. Toboe, in his original form, went to retrieve the bird and showed off his catch to Tsuki.

"Good job."

Toboe's cheek turned a bit red. "You think I could do that again?"

She shrugged. "Let's see."

Toboe set down the bird before crouching into position and jumping back into the trees.

* * *

><p>Tsuki and Toboe joined their pack again when they caught five birds—three were caught by Tsuki, and Toboe was able to catch one more. Tsume had a rabbit, and Kiba and Hige had a little less luck. They gathered together to feed on their prey.<p>

Cheza stood a few feet away, basking in the sunlight. Tsuki only ate one of the three birds she caught. When she stood up, Toboe watched her. "You don't want anymore?"

She shook her head. "I don't need anymore."

"More for us, then!" Hige said grabbing Tsuki's catch.

"Hey!" Toboe growled at Hige.

"She said she didn't want anymore. And what she doesn't want, we should have."

"Whatever." Toboe dropped his share on the ground.

"Where do you think you're going?" He ignored Hige as he ran across the forest floor. "Damn kid."

"Leave him alone, Hige," Kiba said. "Toboe's learning to be more responsible."

"That Tora guy must've said something to him," Tsume said. "Otherwise, why else would he be so overprotective of her?"

"It's so obvious he has a crush on her," Hige stated. "I would've thought you'd know that." Tsume took another bite of his rabbit, disgruntled. "You've been in a crappy mood ever since Tsuki joined our pack. Do you have a problem with her or something?" The older wolf didn't respond. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Shut up, Hige!" Tsume also stormed off as soon as he was done with his rabbit.

"What'd I say?"

"Maybe you should just stop talking," Kiba advised. "Your mouth seems to make things worse."

"I'm just starting the truth, and I think there's something going on between those three."

"Those three?"

"Three? Four? Whatever."

Kiba was confused. What was Hige talking about? "What do you mean?"

He sighed. "You can't be serious. How come I'm the only one who sees it?" He pulled off another strip of the bird he stole from Tsuki before turning to the alpha male. "Okay, so we already know there's something going on with Cheza and Tsuki, right?" he whispered. Kiba nodded. "And Toboe is getting 'friendlier' with Tsuki. But then there's Tsume, who always gets angry when we mention those two."

"What's your point?"

"The point is that I think there's more to Tsuki than we thought."

Kiba found it hard to disagree with him. They already knew about Tsuki's relationships with Toboe and Cheza, but Tsume had been acting a bit strange. Everyone was still getting used to the new addition of their pack, but there were many things that they still didn't know about. "Perhaps you're right. But we don't know if Tsume's involved with Tsuki or not."

"Yes we do." The white wolf looked at him for clarification. "Tsume stormed off in the same direction as Toboe."

Meanwhile, Toboe was still searching for Tsuki, who he seemed to have lost. He wondered if Hige said anything that made her upset which was very feasible since he did have a huge mouth that went along with his huge appetite. He suddenly heard humming. It was a refreshing sound, almost similar to Cheza's singing. He decided to follow the sound namely knowing that it could be Tsuki.

He soon found her by a pond—he was surprised they hadn't found it sooner—leaning against a tree. She was humming a tune that sounded very familiar and beautiful in its own way.

When the song was over, Toboe decided then to join her. "You have a beautiful voice, Tsuki," he said.

She tensed up a bit before realizing it was Toboe. She smiled timidly and put a stray hair behind her ear. Toboe thought he saw her blush. "I-I was just humming."

"It still sounded nice. What were you humming?"

"It's the Song of the Moon. I usually hum it when I'm… well, I just felt like humming it right now."

Toboe sat down next to her. Both of her legs were in the lake halfheartedly sloshing back and forth. He skin was glowing again, but only slightly. "Do you miss Tora?" he suddenly asked. "Is that why you were sing—humming?" Tsuki cocked her head to the side to look at the boy. She almost looked guilty. "It's okay if you don't want to answer. I shouldn't've asked. I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "That's okay. I do admit I miss him, but that's not why I was humming. You see… I've forgotten my memory. Tora… Tora's the only family I've ever had as far as I know. The only thing I had that can help me regain my memory is this locket"—she took out the locket and showed it to Toboe—"and the song. I usually sing it in an effort to try and remember, but it's all just a blur. I didn't sing because I was afraid your friends would hear me. My voice isn't that great, not as great as Cheza's."

"I bet you sound just as good, probably better." Tsuki's blush turned deeper. She quickly turned away from Toboe so he wouldn't see it. He saw this and blushed as well. "K-Kiba said that you and Cheza know each other, but Cheza only seems to remember you. Is that why you're not comfortable being around her?"

The gray wolf suddenly tensed up. She took her legs out of the water and wrapped her arms around her knees. "I get this weird feeling whenever I'm around her… Whenever I am, I get this sudden feeling that I will remember something, but… I still can't remember." Tsuki hid her face in her arms, hoping to hide the tears that threatened to fall. "Sometimes… singing to myself… it feels so… useless. I'm afraid… I'm afraid I will never remember…"

Toboe didn't know what to say. He almost knew how Tsuki felt; he had been with Granny since he was a pup, but he had no other family, not until he joined the pack. Tsuki just joined, but she couldn't remember anything from her past, Tora just left her for some nameless reason, and worst of all, she was left behind by some strangers who were about to kill her the other day.

"Don't worry, Tsuki," Toboe said. "I'm here for you. I don't know if you'll ever get your memory back, but I'll always be here for you."

She peeked through her arms and glanced at the modest wolf. "You're so kind to me, Toboe."

He scratched the back of his head. "It's nothing. You're a part of the pack now, so you're one of us."

She smiled. "Thanks."

Toboe looked up. "It's getting late." He then stood up and offered a hand. "Let's head back to the others."

Tsuki gladly took his hand but didn't let go. As they walked back to the others, Tsuki tugged Toboe's hand to stop. "Can you promise me something?" She hesitated a bit before asking, "Do you mind not telling any of your friends what I told you, especially that Kiba guy?"

He became very quiet, and she wasn't sure he would give her a positive answer, but then he spoke up, "Sure, I won't say a word."

She smiled brightly at him. "Thank you."

Tsuki laid her head on his shoulder, and Toboe tried his best not to blush again. And as the two walked back to their pack, they were oblivious of the gray wolf that had been watching and listening to them the whole time.

* * *

><p>Hubb Lebowski woke up with a terrible headache, only to get punched in the face again.<p>

"Tell me, what exactly were you thinking carrying around a banned book like this?" He didn't reply, so the detective continued, "You say you're looking for a woman who divorced you, but Lebowski, there's no cooperative evidence that such a woman ever existed in this city. In fact, there're no records anywhere that the two of you were ever married."

Hubb head hung low.

"Lebowski, thanks to the protection of Lord Orkham we've all been able to eke out a substantial living for ourselves. What the hell happened to you? Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it your policy to do everything you could to stay out of trouble?"

He almost laughed at the irony, but he kept a grave face. "Yes it was, but something's changed. Either me, or else the world."

"What?"

"You spend your whole life licking the Nobles' boots and what does it get you? Once you become a liability, you're abandoned just like I've been. Lord or no, Orkham is nothing but a cowardly old man. Tell me, did being beaten at his own game by that fallen Noble really upset him that much—"

The man slugged him again, almost knocking him over. "If you mean Darcia, we already shot him down!"

"Darcia…?" He thought for a moment. "But you haven't found him yet, have you? Darcia, or Cheza—"

He punched him once again, this time knocking him to the floor. "Darcia's aerial city might be protecting him, along with his accomplishments, but it's only a matter of time before we find him!"

"Thanks for clearing that up. Can I ask you one more thing?"

"What? What is it?"

"This Darcia… which Darcia do you mean?"

* * *

><p><em><strong>R&amp;R!<strong>_


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter V**

Tora ran as fast as he could to his brother's keep. He lost the hawk leading him long ago, and now he was only relying on pure instinct. He had a terrible feeling in his gut, something that he hadn't felt in a long time—a void that was slowly and eerily being filled with a rekindling pain. He couldn't let that happen again. He had to make that feeling go away.

_I won't let this happen to another._

He was glad to have such instinct at the moment. For once, he was glad to possess such a curse his family had for generations. He had the sense to leave Tsuki behind, and if he turned out so simple-minded, maybe he would've brought her with him as planned instead of leaving her in the care of some strangers.

Lost wolves looking for Paradise were a rare thing to come by. He was grateful to come by them. He hoped, with the help of the Flower Maiden, they could help Tsuki recover what she lost, something so precious to anyone if they were in her predicament. He also hoped that she would cooperate. He knew how withdrawn she became when dealing with strangers. If she couldn't get over her timid nature, the only ones he could rely one was the Flower Maiden and the young pup they first encountered.

Tora knew he could trust Toboe. Even though he was young, he was reliable and trustworthy. Youth was in favor of this situation. If anyone could get through to her it was him.

The thought of Tsuki was soon forgotten once he finally arrived at Darcia's Keep. It was completely void of any life as far as he could tell. Hopefully his inference wasn't so true.

Inside, everything seemed intact. His hawk soon joined him and landed on his shoulder. "Good job, Shouta," he said rewarding the hawk with a gentle scratch under his chin.

"Lord Torasuto," a soft voice said. A young woman clad in black approached him. Her violet hair was up in buns and in her hands she held an orb. She was obviously surprised to see the young Darcia here. "… Welcome home."

"Neze, take me to Hamona's room."

The young woman bowed. "As you wish, my lord."

She led Tora into the elongated hallway. The dreadful feeling inside of him almost made him sick, but he wouldn't be put out of commission yet.

Neze stopped them in front of a door that supposedly had Hamona on the other side. Tora opened the doors and Shouta flew inside. Once inside, he saw Darcia's lover in her comatose state with many wires attached to her exposed body. He ran to check if she was still breathing in her dormant state. He put two fingers on her neck and exhaled when he felt a pulse.

"She's still alive…" he mumbled to himself. He didn't contain the same feelings his brother had for her, but Tora cared about Hamona dearly, like a sister. He wouldn't forgive himself if anything happened to her in such a feeble state. His brother surely wouldn't forgive him, either. He wouldn't lose anyone else again.

"Lord Torasuto," Neze called him.

"What is it?"

"I sense Jaguara's forces coming this way."

He swore. "Where is my brother?"

"Lord Darcia went to retrieve to the Flower Maiden. We thought you were dead, so he decided not to go through with the Lupe project."

He swore again. He should've known Darcia would pull a trick like that. He was too concentrated on saving his true love that he had gotten carried away over the years. Now she was in danger because he left her side.

Maybe he should've stayed with Tsuki, he thought. She never met Darcia, but she knew her purpose. She would know who Darcia was once she encountered him, which would probably be soon.

* * *

><p>The gang of wolves soon arrived at the next city, which was giving them a good impression so far. The town had jaded buildings and hefty men loitering around them. They looked ready to start a brawl at any given minute.<p>

"Man, what a seedy-looking town," Hige observed.

"It's my kind of place," said Tsume.

Kiba chuckled. "I bet it is."

Tsume smirked. "Smell the danger in the air. My blood's on fire!"

"Me too! Me too!" Toboe exclaimed, showing off his biceps. Tsuki giggled.

Hige pulled him into a headlock. "Pretty big talk for someone who's scared all the time. But that's not the only reason you're fired up, is it, runt? For one thing, tonight's…"

"Yeah," Kiba said. "It's a full moon."

Toboe was eventually able to escape and backed up to a wall. "I know it's like that for us because we get our strength from the full moon, but what about Cheza? She looks like she's glowing, too."

The wolves looked upon the Flower Maiden walking ahead of them. With her back to them, they could still see her glowing aura. "Yeah," Kiba agreed with the younger wolf. "'Once a year on the night of a full moon, flowers will hear the moon's call and return to Paradise.' That's a legend I heard once."

"So," Tsume said, "you mean tonight she'll…"

"I'm not sure if it'll be tonight. We'll just have to wait and see."

"What?" Toboe said. "What's gonna happen to her?"

"You're not saying Cheza's gonna bloom or something, are ya?" Hige queried.

Tsuki almost gasped at that realization. If she did bloom, then they'd somehow be able to go to Paradise. However, Tsuki didn't see how such a thing was possible, and she wasn't sure if she was happy about this news.

Cheza suddenly turned around with a radiant smile that was more jovial than usual. "This one is excited, too!"

After a few minutes of traveling, the wolves became hungry again. "Do you think there's any free food around here?" Hige asked.

"Don't worry," Kiba said. "When the full moon comes, we may not have to eat for weeks."

"Yeah," said Toboe, "because once we get to Paradise, we'll have all the food we can eat."

Hige groaned as his stomach growled again. "That doesn't change the fact that I'm still starving."

The group soon approached a fountain. The water looked clean, so Cheza didn't hesitate to jump in it. "Looks like Cheza likes this spot," Toboe said.

"It's the perfect place to bask in the moon," Kiba said. "There's a clear view of the sky. But we shouldn't stay out in the open for long. There's a building nearby. We can hide there for a while before the moon comes out."

Everybody agreed with the decision. Kiba and Hige left to find food while Tsuki, Toboe, Cheza, and surprisingly Tsume, stayed behind. When they were gone, the two pups sat on the fountain.

"What should we do while we wait?" Toboe asked.

Tsuki shrugged. There wasn't anything they could really do to entertain themselves while they waited for the other two wolves to come back with food. She wasn't as hungry as the rest of her pack, but she had always been different. The only thing she needed right now was water, but she didn't want to bask while the others were watching. There was no way she could escape without attracting attention.

Tsume was dealing with a different dilemma. He couldn't ignore this girl any longer. He needed to confront her without arousing suspicion among his friends. Nothing was kept private in a pack, which was one of the reasons why he preferred being solo.

"This one is full," Cheza said. She jumped out of the fountain and sat with her friends.

Tsume stood far off on the other side of the fountain. They all sat in silence feeling the awkwardness of the muted atmosphere. Tsuki shifted positions to make herself more comfortable while Cheza clung to her arm. Tsume watched the gray wolf from the corner of his eye. He didn't want Tsuki to suspect that he was spying on her—even though that was exactly what he was doing, but he had to be covert about it. For a brief moment when he wasn't paying attention, he thought he saw Tsuki looking back at him, so he turned away quickly. When he glanced back, her back was to him again.

Tsuki suddenly stood from her spot. "I'm going to take a walk," she said.

"Okay," Toboe said. "I'll come, too."

"No, I need to be by myself because… well, I need to go…"

Toboe suddenly became flustered. "Oh! O-O-Okay! I'll just wait here."

Cheza didn't really understand what she meant but there had to be a reason why Toboe didn't follow her, so she stayed put.

When Tsuki disappeared behind the wall, Tsume also stood from the fountain, but he went a different direction to keep Toboe and Cheza oblivious. He approached a wall that almost nearly encircled the area. He slowly sped his pace to catch up with Tsuki.

The white-haired man was suddenly confronted by the white-haired girl. Her arms were crossed but her face was impassive. He should've known she would catch him; she wasn't as ignorant as the others thought she was.

"I know you've been watching me," she said. "Tell me what you want because I don't like when people spy on me."

Tsume almost flinched at how straightforward she was. He liked how she worked. She was frank, and they weren't wasting time.

"I heard your conversation with Toboe the other day," he began. "And I know who you are."

Tsuki took a step back. "What?" She couldn't believe her ears. "No… no, you don't know me."

"You don't know that. You can't remember a thing." He took a step closer. "Do you want to know who you are or not?"

She wanted to say no. This was the first time this man talked to her, and the first thing he wants to talk about is her lost memories—who she was before she lost them in the first place. She wasn't sure if she wanted some stranger to tell her who she was. But then again, when would she ever remember. She tried so hard to remember, and the Song of the Moon wasn't helping.

After a moment of wishful thinking, she shook her head. "I'm sorry, but…"

Tsume suddenly took her shoulders. "This has been making me crazy ever since I laid my eyes on you. Tsuki, you need to know. I just want to help, and how else are you going to remember?" She struggled to get out of his grasp but it was effortless. He was going to tell her whether she wanted to know or not "… You're my sister."

Time seemed to stop at the moment. Everything wasn't what it seemed anymore. Day was night. This barren city was a bountiful forest. But the forest wasn't as extravagant as most. The trees were ablaze and fear was the only thing she could feel.

"Tsuki!" a voice called her. She couldn't see who was calling her, only fire. Then she saw the figure—two black figures. One was someone she didn't know, and then there was the familiar gray wolf who she suddenly felt immense love for. The other wolf had a menacing air about him. The wolf suddenly lunged at the gray wolf, and more fear filled up inside.

"_Tsume!_"

"NO!" The illusion was suddenly gone when she pulled away from Tsume. She fell to the ground, sniveling and shaking as if she was in pain. She held her head as she continued to cry. "Stop it! Stop it! Make it _stop_!"

Tsume stood and watched in astonishment. He didn't know what he did, but it was causing her pain. He reached out to help her, but she scooted away.

"_Stay away! Stay away from me!_" She ran back to the fountain, leaving Tsume in bewilderment.

_Damn_, he thought. _What have I done?_

* * *

><p>The bloody black wolf tore the throat of his last opponent and drew back to watch him fall back with comrades. Heaps of black armor clad soldiers decked the halls of Darcia's Keep. The last one Tora defeated was able to make as far as Hamona's room, but the black wolf was fortunately able to catch up to him.<p>

Neze stood next to Hamona's specialized bed looking into her crystal ball while the young Noble fought Jaguara's soldiers. She wasn't fazed by the action at all, only merely looking for her other master.

Tora, now in his human persona, slumped against the wall holding his bloody arm. It was wounded before when he fought a crazy old man in the slum he and Tsuki used to inhabit; the man grazed his arm when he shot at him. While he was fighting, he took a blow from one of the black soldiers, reopening the wound.

"Have you… found my brother yet…? Neze," he said between breaths.

"Lord Darcia is approaching the wolves, my lord."

Tora stood from his spot and utter several obscenities as he dragged his worn out body to the comatose woman. Her condition was still stable and she wasn't harmed when the soldiers invaded his brother's keep. He did what he had to, and now they had to depend on Darcia to return as soon as possible.

"You're safe, Hamona. Darcia will be back soon…"

"I wouldn't be so sure, Tora…"

He turned around to face another foe but only froze when he saw the sight of this person. "Jaguara… you'd risk you're safety to come here? How bold."

She smiled. "Thank you. I just came to return a favor to my sister."

"I'll be sure to tell her."

"You will?" Her smile turned into a menacing smirk. "Then tell her this…" In a flash, Jaguara threw her sword at the black wolf.

* * *

><p>Tsuki avoided Tsume for the rest of the day. She knew she shouldn't have asked what he wanted, but he was a stubborn mule. Because of him, she recovered her first memory, and it was hell. Why that had to be the first thing she could remember, she didn't know. All she knew was that Tsume was involved.<p>

Night had finally come for the wolves, and tension rose among the pack. They were all excited about the coming of the full moon. Once the moon was fully in the sky, Cheza would be able to open the doors to Paradise. Or so they thought.

They walked back to the fountain they found for this special occasion. Cheza stood in the fountain under the moonlight. The others watched in anticipation.

"So this is it," Tsume said.

"Yeah," Hige said. "Right about now, I feel like I can do almost anything."

Toboe put his hands behind his head in relaxation. "I mean we've all seen the full moon before. Because Cheza's with us, it seems different, doesn't it?" He turned to Tsuki who gave him a feign smile. She didn't want to bring down Toboe's mood with something as burdensome as a frown.

Tsume pumped his arms in the air and shouted, "Oh, man! I just want to howl my head off!"

Tsuki was the only one who wasn't anticipating anything good. She felt something terrible was about to happen, but no one else seemed to care. They were so concentrated on going to Paradise it was like nothing else even mattered. When she saw Tsume so pumped, it was like he forgot what happened that morning. Maybe that was what she should've done, but it was hard to forget such a memory. Then again, she was relieved he had already forgotten. It lifted the weight off her shoulders.

She glanced at the alpha, who she noted was once again staring at the Flower Maiden. "Something's about to happen," he said.

Suddenly, Cheza began spinning in the fountain while looking up at the moon. The wolves followed the transaction by running around the Maiden in their original forms. Instead of joining her fellow companions, Tsuki watched in amusement. What could've made them so flamboyant, so full of life at such a moment?

_The moon_, she thought. _The full moon's glow and the essence of the Flower Maiden…_

She suddenly felt it. She the moon and the Maiden's energy began to surge through her body. A part of her wanted to be a part of this illusion, and the other part didn't. But then she saw Toboe and Tsume, who looked expectantly at her. She didn't want anyone to be suspicious of her actions, so she joined them and ran around with the other wolves.

They stopped their little merry-go-round shortly and the bays started. They howled at the moon like there was no tomorrow.

And then came silence.

All eyes were on the moon. They all looked up at it like they expected it to do something. And then they appeared.

The legendary lunar flowers everyone had dreamed about suddenly appeared and began to germinate the surrounding area. The land was dark and lifeless compared to the glistening carnations. It was like magic. The flowers made a trail through the dark, vast land. The pack stared in astonishment.

"It's the path to Paradise," Hige suddenly spoke up.

"Is that really what it is?" Tsume said.

"Amazing," Toboe breathed out. "It's amazing."

Everyone glanced at the path before them, unsure whether it was an illusion. Cheza made the first move and ran down the path. The wolves quickly followed, trotting down the path to Paradise.

Paradise. The single thought made Tsuki come back to her senses.

It was too easy. Paradise wasn't that close; it couldn't be that close. The path to Paradise was longer, excruciating—she would know.

Tsuki stopped running. Something felt different. She looked at the ground. The lunar flowers were gone. It was all an illusion. Then she looked to sky. The full moon was still glowing in its magnificence. But then she saw it; there was a black figure flying in the middle of the moon. They were in danger.

She wasn't the only one who saw the craft. Everyone else also stopped running and looked at the sky. Then Toboe joined her side. He finally took the time to look at the ground, which was no longer covered in lunar flowers. Then he looked to the sky with the rest of them.

As the craft flew closer, the tension grew. Tsuki glanced at Cheza. She looked very terrified and she was sweating bullets. As the craft approached them, Tsuki's chest felt tight. She almost felt as scared as the Maiden looked. She could feel her knees buckle, but she wouldn't allow them to. She couldn't let anyone see her scared, not even Toboe. Instead, she took his hand and gave it a little squeeze. He returned the action but he didn't look away from the alien contraption.

When the craft landed, the hatch unfolded revealing a peculiar Noble. The man had long, navy blue hair and a wicked smile on his face. His appearance suddenly made the pup physically ill. He looked awfully like Tora, except his face was sickly pale and lacked any modesty. When he opened his mouth, a nefarious voice spoke, "The wolves," his voice made her shiver, "it's been a long time."

Tsuki didn't like the sound of his voice. She tightened her grip on her Toboe's hand, which made the pup worry. "Tsuki…?"

She shook her head. "This man… he's…"

Tsume sneered, "That stench…! He's a Noble?"

"What are you doing here?" Kiba inquired.

"Was your little dream pleasant?—the one where you were going to Paradise?" The Noble began to walk out of his craft towards the wolves. Tsuki knew it was too good to be true. They weren't going to Paradise; it was just a dream. But how was that possible? And how did she get caught up in such a delusion?

"What?" Kiba shouted as if he didn't know what the Noble was talking about.

The Noble stopped. "The time has not yet come for that." He turned his gaze to the Flower Maiden. "Return to me, Cheza."

Cheza shook her head and backed away from him.

Kiba began to growl and showed off his wolf fangs. "Get out of our way!" Fully wolf, he lunged at the Noble.

He stood there looking confident and smug. "It is futile."

The white wolf jumped at the Noble but was only sprung back by an invisible force field. A red laser shot out of the craft and toward him, eradicating the earth where Kiba had once stepped upon.

Seeing the destruction this man was causing made Toboe alert. "Tsuki!" He turned to the girl who stood frozen next to him. "Tsuki!" he called her name again, but he received no response. She only continued to stare at the Nobleman. "Tsuki, snap out of it!"

A suddenly explosion brought Tsuki back into reality but it was too late for the pups to react. They were hit by one of the lasers and landed on the ground with a sickening thud.

Hige saw this and ran to help his younger companions. "Toboe! Tsuki!" Before he could reach them, he was also blown away.

"Ah, the blood of the wolves," the Noble said. "How magnificent."

Kiba and Tsume ran to attack the man again. When the laser came for them, they split up along with the laser, which got them both.

Cheza cried out for her friends as each one of them was hit by a devastating laser. The blood of the wolves lingered in the air, making her cry even more. She felt so helpless that she couldn't help her friends. And as long as she defied the Noble, the wolves would be in danger, and he wouldn't stop until they were all dead or blown to ashes.

Kiba wouldn't give up, though. He wouldn't let this man take Cheza away from him again like he had in Freeze City. As he struggled to stand up, he looked him in the eye with determination and hatred.

"Kiba…" Cheza couldn't let this continue, but the white wolf wouldn't stop.

Before he could even stand up, the laser fired at him again and he slid across the rough ground. With each struggle, Kiba was hit again and again, and each time he continued to stand his ground and protect Cheza.

"That is enough," she said. She began walking toward the Noble who smirked in satisfaction.

The wolf exerted himself to stand and block Cheza. "Don't go…" he said between heavy breaths. "Don't…"

Cheza knelt down and hugged him tenderly. "It's alright." Her voice was so gentle, it almost sounded like a whisper.

"Don't go Cheza. W-We're wolves… we're not afraid to die..."

"This one knows that. This one has decided… it is alright. Kiba, this one will surely protect you."

"Che… za…" The white wolf finally passed out and fell to the ground.

Cheza petted him one more time before heading towards the others. She touched each one of them before walking toward the Noble.

"Darcia!" The man looked out among the wolves to see the young gray one struggling to stand. She heard everything that happened while she was on the ground. As she stood, she could see Kiba lying on the ground, bloody and unconscious. He must've been the one enduring all of the explosions.

On her feet, the image the gray wolf saw was no longer a man, but a smirking red wolf. His right eye was human, but his left eye was that of a wolf's. It was scary how he resembled Tora so much. However, it didn't faze the young wolf. Her eyes were blank, impassive, and her actions were almost numb.

Cheza almost began crying again when she saw the young wolf approach Darcia. She was going to get herself killed if she continued, but then she saw the glint in her eye. She was moving like a machine and her eyes were changing; something was happening to her.

"Your brother… your brother told me… about you…"

Darcia frowned. "This little wolf hasn't learned her lesson, has she?"

"Tora… Tora said I was meant… to help Hamona…!"

His eyes dilated at the girl's words, now seeing a young wolf with a distinctive mark on her forehead. "So you're Lupe, my brother's creation… you won't be any use to me in your fragile condition." He walked further into the ship before turning back. "If you really are Lupe, you'll come and find me on your own."

Darcia and Cheza went inside the craft and it flew away the instant the hatch closed. When it disappeared, Tsuki fell and stayed unconscious.

* * *

><p><em><strong>R&amp;R!<strong>_


	7. Chapter 6

**Sorry it took me so long to update. I went to Florida for a week and when I came back, I decided to have a vacation from by vacation. And now I'm back in school, so I'm going to be real busy. I'll try to update as soon as I can.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter VI<strong>

_Everything was light._

_The sky was clear and everything seemed perfect._

_The white wolf ran through the endless field of lunar flowers that haunted his dreams every night. He didn't want to believe this was a dream, that once it was over he'd wake up to harsh reality, but sadly, it was a dream. He just had to make it last._

_He loved this dream._

_The free space, the clean air. It was heaven—no, better than heaven._

_It was Paradise._

_The wind blowing through his fur was nice comfort for the white wolf. He didn't close his eyes in fear of waking up from this wonderful delusion. He abruptly stopped when the lukewarm breeze turned malicious. It was unusual; this place wasn't supposed to be filled with hatred._

_Then he saw her. The tan girl with ashen hair and a white strapped dress. She was kneeling and her back was to him, but he could immediately recognize her. He'd never seen her in his dreams before. In fact, no females were ever in his dreams. His only thought was freedom. He wondered how she could've appeared._

"_Tsuki," he called to her. She didn't respond. "Tsuki!" This time, she stood but she didn't turn to him. In his human persona, Kiba ran up to the girl, took her shoulder, and spun her around. He backed off when he saw her face._

_Her eyes were red like a certain Flower Maiden, but they weren't filled with the same compassion. They were instead filled with hatred and disconsolation, and not just in general—at him. In her hand, she held a lunar flower with unusual features. It's petals were turning black._

"_Tsuki, what…?"_

"_You…" She took one step back. "How could you?"_

"_How could I what?"_

"_How could you just leave me to die!"_

-X-

Kiba awoke from the unpleasant nightmare sitting up quickly as he did. It was still night from what he could gather, and his other friends were still out cold. They were also hurt from the blows the Noble's ship caused.

Next to him was the same silver-haired girl from his dream, only she was in her wolf form. Her eyes were closed, but if he were to open them, he was afraid he would see those menacingly red eyes from his nightmare. It was hard to believe that this innocent pup could be not as innocent as she wanted them to think.

Or maybe it wasn't.

* * *

><p>When Tsuki woke up, she found herself in a dump. The building looked rusty and the smell was horrible. Sometimes she wished she didn't have such a keen sense of smell.<p>

As she sat up, she groaned. Her back was as stiff as a board. All of the pain from her wounds was gone, though. She was glad wolves could heal so fast, but she was still sore. "Ah…" She rubbed her head tenderly. "Where on Earth…?"

"Tsuki, you're awake!" She turned to see her friend sitting next to her. Toboe welcomed her with a warming smile.

She gave him a tiny grin. "Hey." She turned and saw Tsume and Hige lounging about. The older wolf looked as annoyed as usual and seemed to be ignoring her, which she was glad. After everything that happened, it was better if they continued to avoid each other. "How long was I out?"

"You and Kiba have been unconscious for a while," Toboe answered. "Kiba's still out of it, though."

"I'm not surprised," Hige spoke up. "Kiba was the last wolf standing. Of course he'd be out cold."

Tsuki looked around to find the white wolf and found him on her other side. He was human, and he looked very weary. And she wasn't surprised to see him that way after surviving all those blows from the Noble. She agreed with Hige; she wouldn't be surprised if he slept until the next day. Kiba was a stubborn wolf, though. And after witnessing his key to Paradise just fly off, he would be waking up soon.

"But we just lost Cheza," Toboe mentioned. "I don't think Kiba will be happy once he wakes up."

Hige frowned. "No, but at least he'll be well rested."

Nobody laughed at the joke. The reminder of the loss of the Flower Maiden made the mood sadder and everybody stopped talking completely. Tsuki rested her head on Toboe's shoulder sleepily. Hige cradled his head in his arms. Tsume, who originally said nothing, continued to lie back with his hands behind his head and his legs crossed saying nothing to his companions.

A few moments later, Kiba finally woke up. He rubbed his sore shoulder when Hige spoke up, "You up and movin' already?"

He quickly turned around and saw the sullen looks on his friends' faces. He suddenly remembered the events that occurred last night, slumping down and sighing dully.

Hige sat up, annoyed by his friends' lack of enthusiasm. "Come on, guys! I know we've been through a lot, but why all the moping?"

"I couldn't sleep, that's why," Toboe answered.

"Me neither," Tsuki said, yawning to prove her point. Her yawning became infectious and he yawned as well.

The hungry wolf scowled at him. "Yeah, well neither could I."

Tsume decided to intervene and sat up grunting as he did so. "You slept like a dead man as always."

"Look, I'm just as shocked and frustrated as the rest of you, but none of that is gonna help us figure out what the hell to do now. Are we gonna live here in a stupor for the rest of our lives? Somebody say something, damn it!

"Kiba," he finally addressed their leader. "You haven't said a single word to any of us since everything happened!"

"Drop it," Tsume said.

"Leave him alone," Toboe cried. "Kiba was hurt the worst, remember?" Tsuki almost felt like correcting him; Kiba wasn't the only one who was most affected by what happened last night, but she wouldn't say anything about it. Hopefully no one remembered what she said.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Kiba wouldn't stop staring at her.

"It's not that," Kiba finally said. "It's just… I'm really pissed off."

When Hige said Kiba was the last man standing, he meant he was obviously the last one to fall after the Noble left. He slightly correct. Kiba heard everything she remotely said to Darcia, something that she didn't have any control over, before he fell into a deep sleep. He was the man Tora wanted her to meet, but he was also the one who injured the pack and took away Cheza. Talking to him looked bad—_extremely_ bad, and Kiba probably thought she was a traitor.

"Kiba, why are you looking at Tsuki like that?" Toboe asked. Everybody else turned their attention to the pup and white wolf.

He stiffened at all of the sudden attention and looked away. "It's nothing."

Suddenly, everyone stopped talking when they heard shouting outside:

"She went that way!"

"Get her!"

"Come back, damn it!"

The racket came closer and all of a sudden, a bluish-black wolf ran into the chamber the wolves were occupying. Kiba, Tsume, and Toboe gasped when they her. However, Hige and Tsuki only saw the image of a woman appear. She was wearing a black wool jacket accommodated by black boots and a red scarf. Her skin was tan just like Tsuki's but her eyes were bluer. Tsuki stared at her in awe while Hige ogled her.

"Wow, what a babe!"

A man in a white suit and two other thugs with pipes suddenly joined them. "She's got friends," the man in the white suit said. His cohorts chuckled haughtily.

"Yeah," Hige said as he stepped in front of the she-wolf. "So what's it to you?"

The man in the white suit grinned maliciously before glancing over at the other wolves. When he saw Tsuki, his grin grew. Toboe caught this and put a protective arm around her shoulders. Tsume also saw this and growled under his breath. Even though she didn't accept it, Tsuki was still his sister, and he wasn't going to tolerate men looking at her like she was a piece of meat.

"Hand over the girl," the leader demanded.

"Why should we?"

"She's our merchandise." The man nodded to his thugs. "Move." They each spread to different ends of the metallic chamber. "You guys aren't from around here, are ya?"

"Yeah, so what if we aren't?" Hige questioned.

"There's a big demand for young bodies in this town," one of the thugs murmured. He made his way over to Tsume, Toboe, and Tsuki.

The other one already made his way over to Kiba. "People will pay top dollar for healthy organs."

The thug near Tsume and company lunged at them, but the wolves were quick to react.

Tsume cracked his neck. "You don't expect us to give up our bodies, do you?" He ran behind the man gave him a roundhouse kick. Toboe pulled Tsuki behind him as the older wolf fought. Tsuki wanted to help, but Toboe was too protective of her and she knew she wouldn't be able to do anything as long as he was on defense.

The man in white ran at Kiba and the she-wolf and they swiftly moved out of the way. Hige abruptly knocked him to the ground. His partner ran at Kiba, but he simply tripped the man before he could hit him with his pipe. Then the young man put his foot against his shoulder blade. However, the thug didn't see the image of a young man anymore. He saw a white wolf that looked ready to bite his face off. In his peripheral, he saw his partners were also being held down by wolves.

"I'm going crazy…" He was so shocked, he could barely breathe. "Oh no! It's the curse! It's the curse of the House of Darcia!"

Tsuki attention was drawn by that exclamation. There it was again—Darcia's curse. How did this curse get rumored about? No one was supposed to know.

At the mention of Darcia, the alpha wolf snapped at the man, and he closed his eyes and screamed in terror as he waited for his demise. However, he remained unscathed. When he opened his eyes again, he saw humans run out of the chamber, leaving him and his companions to cower.

* * *

><p>"So, you say you're from Freeze City, is that right?" the bartender said matter-of-factly.<p>

"That's right."

Hubb Lebowski, after he escaped from the police station in the town before, could only make it so far without food. He was starving, but no amount of starvation would stop him from searching for his missing ex-wife. He was lucky to have come across this bar before passing out on the street. And while he was in the bar, he thought he might as well ask if the bartender knew anything about Cher.

"Well, if you've come all this way to find her, she must've done something pretty awful, huh?"

Hubb chuckled. "Yeah. She's a master criminal with the face of an angel," he joked.

"Hey, wait," another bartender spoke up when he saw the picture. "That's her. That's the woman. You know, the one who drank like a fish."

"You mean you saw her?" Hubb inquired.

"Yeah, she came in her a while ago. She was throwing them back with that old guy over there." The man gestured to a figure lying against a barrel. "Mister!" The old man didn't reply. "Hey! Mister!" This time, the old man turned and grunted.

Hubb gasped when he saw the familiar, intimidating-looking drunk. "You again."

Hubb remembered first meeting the ex-sheriff of Kyrios in Freeze City, when the man was brought in for questioning after shooting a dog he claimed to be a wolf. After that, he ran off to hunt the wolves he thought were in the city. The detective was not too surprised to find him here in his semi-drunken state.

When Quent joined him at the counter for his nth drink, he confessed that he did see Cher several days before. Hubb was relieved at this news.

"You'd be better off giving up on a headstrong woman like that," Quent advised.

"She only seems that way, but I know how she really is. I've been at her side for as long as I can remember," Hubb said evocatively.

"Believe me, it's a big mistake to think that you know everything about someone just because you're with them all the time."

"So, I take it your search for the wolves is going well," Hubb changed the subject. He didn't like how people contradicted his relationship with his true love. "And where's your dog? She too headstrong for you?"

"I guess so. She ran off on me." The older man took another large gulp of his drink. "I'm so tired I can barely think. It's gotten so bad, I don't know what the hell I'm searching for."

"Wolves, remember?"

"Yeah…" After having so many drinks, chasing wolves seemed like some distant dream. This was his life's work, the closure he'd been searching for. He wouldn't be satisfied until he had their blood on his hands. But it was hard—_extremely_ hard without Blue. The dog had been with him through everything, and now she was gone.

He remembered the day they ruined his life, the day those monsters destroyed everything he loved, and now they took away his most loyal partner.

"It was the wolves…" he murmured to himself. "It's always the wolves…"

Hubb had enough of the old man, so he decided then to leave. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I really don't have the time." The detective put on his hat. "Excuse me."

"I've always had the suspicion," Quent said before he left, "ever since my boy found Blue and brought her home—then she was just a pup—I figured she had some wolf blood in her. That's the reason she was able to track down the wolves so well..."

* * *

><p>After the little brouhaha in the broken down building, the wolves ended up in a dump. The open air and sunshine made the wolves feel good. In fact, as soon as they caught their breath, the situation suddenly became comical.<p>

Tsume laughed. "Did you see that stupid look on their faces?"

"I know," Toboe said. "That felt terrific."

Tsuki nodded in agreement. "That was the most fun I had in a long time!" she exclaimed. She never felt so ecstatic before. The thrill of scaring those ruthless thugs felt so wonderful; being a wolf—being a wolf in this special, little pack—suddenly became so much better. When Tsume saw her excitement, he couldn't help but smile. It was like having his sister back again. Sort of.

Toboe turned to Kiba, who was rubbing his sore arm. "Kiba, are you alright?"

"Yeah."

Hige then turned to the she-wolf, who seemed to be ignored, and said, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she answered quickly. "Thanks for helping me."

"We didn't do it for you, you know," Tsume suddenly interrupted. "Those idiots just happened to catch us in a bad mood, that's all."

Hige frowned. "She was just thanking us. Why do you have to be so harsh? We don't get to run into girls like Tsuki everyday." The hungry wolf turned away from his pack. "By the way, I'm Hige," he introduced himself.

"My name is… Blue. It's Blue." Tsuki couldn't help but notice how she hesitated to reveal her name. It was like she was hiding something. She felt empathetic for Blue; being the only girl in the pack did feel a bit lonely, and she was hiding many things from them. She doubted Blue would just join them on the spot like she did, though.

The she-wolf suddenly turned to Kiba, Tsume, and Toboe. "It's been a while."

"Huh?" Hige looked up to his friends in confusing. Tsuki shrugged; she didn't know what was going on, either. "You guys know each other?"

"You could say that," Kiba mumbled.

"You did some pretty nasty things to us when you were with the human," Tsume reminded her.

"That old guy," Toboe said. "Where is he?" Tsuki realized he was talking about the mad man who was shooting at them in the shady town where she and Tora used to live; that wasn't a nice memory. She remembered him mentioning the old man being accompanied by a dog, but they never saw dog with him. Blue must've been that dog. But Tsuki could smell a little wolf mixed with the dog scent. Tsuki's eyes widened in realization:

Blue was half-wolf.

Blue turned away at the mention of her old owner. "Something happened and… we were split up." That explained why Tsuki never saw her before, but she could tell the older wolf was hiding something, again.

"He was still tracking us in the last city we were in," Kiba informed her.

"I know he was," Blue replied guiltily. "That's why he was there. Pops will track down a wolf to the ends of the earth."

"I don't get it," Toboe spoke up again. "Aren't you a wolf, too?"

"Hey, that girl," Blue changed the topic quickly, "isn't she with you? You know, the one you guys were traveling with. She had a… a really strange scent." At the mention of Cheza, Blue could suddenly smell the flowery scent in the area. She looked up and saw the girl next to Toboe. She knew that wasn't the Flower Maiden, but she did smell a bit like her.

"The girl? You mean Cheza?"

"Cheza?"

Hige stood up. "Oh, uh, about that…" he began nervously. He knew the topic of the Flower Maiden made the pack very unpleasant; he could feel the aura turn awkward. "Well, let's just say we shouldn't talk about that right now, okay? I know! Why don't we look for some food? I mean, we did just bump into each other and all. Besides, there's a whole mess of danger for a girl on her own in a town like this—"

"Not a chance, porky," Tsume interrupted once again.

"Why not?" Hige growled.

"As if I'd ever hang with her," the older wolf said as he stood confidently. "She was doing everything she could to hunt us down."

"Yeah, but—"

"You know you're only saying that because it didn't happen to you," Toboe retorted.

Blue suddenly chucked. "Forget it," she said. "I don't wanna hang out with a bunch of kids, either. See you 'round." And with that, she left the pack.

"Hey!" Hige yelled. The she-wolf ignored her. He the groaned at his pack. "Aren't you guys being a little cold? How come when I'm into a chick, you guys chase her off, but when it's Toboe, you guys welcome her with open arms!"

The pack was silent for a while until Toboe finally answered, "'Cuz Tsuki didn't try to kill us."

"And Toboe's not a pig," Tsume added.

Hige groaned again. "Oh, whatever!" Hige ran after the girl, leaving his pack in the dump. "Hold on! It's dangerous! Wait up!"

"But Hige—!"

"His tail wags whenever there's a girl around," Tsume said as he sat back down. "Just let him go."

"When we were back in that city, she found out she was half-wolf. Cheza told her," Kiba confessed.

"Half-wolf?" Toboe echoed.

_Half-wolf…_

It was foreign to Tsuki, something she never thought she would hear. It made her think about how different she was from the these wolves, what origins she came from, her memories…

"That side of her must've woken up after meeting Cheza."

"Cheza… I wonder what she's doing."

_Cheza…_

Everything changed when the Flower Maiden was around, and according to Kiba, Blue was able to realize who she was after she met her. She had to admit she also changed a bit when she met Cheza. She also changed when she met Toboe, the most generous wolf she ever met.

Then there was Tsume. When she first talked to him, she gained one of her missing memories. It was a terrible memory, but regardless, that meant Tsume was probably right in assuming that she was his long lost sister. And if he was right about that, then that meant he could tell her so much more about her past life.

There was also Kiba, who she seemed to dislike and distrust more each day. She didn't know how he was related with her past, but she always trusted the feeling in her gut and it told her he was bad news.

She was learning more and more the longer she spent time with the pack. Maybe that was the real reason why Tora left her behind.

"You think she's okay?" Toboe asked suddenly.

Tsuki put a hand to her chest instinctively. She knew Cheza was fine; Darcia wouldn't harm her physically. He needed her just like the wolves did. And as long as Cheza was with Darcia, she would be able to find them.

_Everything's so confusing_, she thought to herself. _It's like I've lost my natural instincts. Or I'm gaining them back…_

* * *

><p>In the midst of Darcia's Keep, many soldiers clad in black were sprawled all over, all bloody and some limbless. A young woman with violet hair, lips, and two violet buns was nailed to the doors of Hamona's sanctuary by her hands. In the room, a black wolf was lying in a puddle of his own blood. Above him was a loyal hawk perched high on the wall. The loyal bird flew down to his wounded master when he returned to his human form.<p>

"G-Good boy, Shouta," the Noble stammered. He carefully sat up and leaned back against the wall holding his bleeding side. The small task left him breathless. "Find… Tsuki."

The hawk squawked in reply and complied to his master. He flopped his magnificent wings and flew out of Darcia's Keep in pursuit of the wolf pup hybrid.

As soon as the bird disappeared, Tora's older brother immediately rushed into Hamona's chamber astonished to see his younger brother bleeding to death against the wall. When he heard his brother rush to his side, Tora became stiff. Jaguara had put something in him, something that she was going to inject into Hamona, but he got her way just in time. The Noble retreated after that extremely angry that her plot was foiled.

"Tora," Darcia said. "What happened?" He lifted his chin so they could see eye-to-eye.

"Didn't Neze tell you?… We had a… visitor." Although the Noble could heal faster than the average person, he was still losing a lot of blood, so he was having a hard time staying conscious.

"What about—?"

"She's fine." Darcia ran over to the comatose woman leaving his brother to his wounds. Love blinded Darcia; Tora knew the feeling, so he wasn't very angry at his brother at the moment. He was too busy trying to stay alive.

Cheza entered the room walking steadily towards the Tora. She knelt beside him and began to heal his bleeding side. "Thank you, Cheza. Where's…?"

"This one left the wolves… It was the only way to protect them."

Tora smiled sympathetically. "It'll be fine. As long as Tsuki's with them, they'll be able to find you."

* * *

><p><em><strong>R&amp;R!<strong>_


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter VII**

Tsuki leaned against Toboe contentedly. The pack, with the exception of Hige, who was still with Blue, was still in the dump, but now they were lounging on a heap of broken car hubcaps. Dawn was approaching, and the she-wolf was starting to get exhausted. It was nice just lying around doing nothing even though she knew they had someplace to be and no time to waste. This was probably going to be the only time she could relax, anyway.

"I wonder where Hige is," Toboe suddenly thought aloud.

"Once he gets dumped, he'll come sulking back," Tsume assured him. He frankly didn't care about what the fatter wolf was doing with the female; he figured it would end in tragedy. He tried to be as laidback as Tsuki because he also knew they'd be on their feet soon.

At Tsuki's displeasure, the pup stood up. "I'm gonna go look around for him," he announced. "Just take it easy till I get back." Tsuki knew he was talking to all of them, but Toboe's gaze was directed towards her. The pup ran off before any of them could protest. Tsuki leaned back against the rubble and tried to get comfortable, but she missed the comfort of Toboe's shoulder. And it was awkward staying with two older wolves that she was unfamiliar with.

Kiba almost went after the pup, but he decided against it. He knew Toboe would be alright. Something suddenly caught his eye. It looked like a piece of broken wall. A special symbol was indented on it. "That's the same crest from the castle where Cheza was held."

Tsume grunted. "This area must still be part of that Noble's territory."

"The curse of the House of Darcia…" Tsuki's ears perked up. She wasn't interested in their conversation until the mention of Darcia's curse hit her ears again.

"What?"

"That's what the guy back there said when he saw us."

The older wolf sighed. "Humans have always seen wolves that way. That's why they're so scared of us. Why didn't you let him have it back there?" Tsume suddenly brought up the subject. "I would've expected you to jump at the chance to rip those humans to pieces. It's not 'cuz of your injuries, it is?"

"Even if I had killed him, I doubt he would've tasted very good."

Tsuki snickered. "I bet." Kiba glanced her way. She had been so quiet he forgot she was still there.

"Yeah," Tsume agreed. "Can't argue with that."

The two gray wolves began to laugh. Kiba watched them curiously. He seemed to notice that Tsume and Tsuki had a lot more in common. They looked alike and they even had the same sense of humor; maybe Hige was right about them, after all. The white wolf joined in their little joke and started laughing with his companions.

The laughing ceased when Tsuki jumped up from her spot. She smelled a rat—no, a swarm of rats. She froze when she recognized the scent.

Kiba and Tsume looked up at her apprehensively.

"What is it? Tsume asked.

"They're back."

Before Tsuki could move again, a bullet whipped past her arm. She staggered back in alarm. Tsume quickly caught her before she fell. He growled at the people who dared to shoot at his sister. The wolves found themselves surrounded by the same men who cornered them in the metal chamber. This time, they brought more men, and more guns.

"Well lookie here," the man in the white suit said. "We find us some wolves. Jaguara's people will pay us a small fortune for you."

"Jaguara?" Tsume repeated.

The man didn't think twice when he shot his gun at the gray wolf.

* * *

><p>Blue could accept change. When she was pup, alone and scared, she was found by the boy, and from then on she began living with a family. That was good change. Then Kyrios burned down and the boy and the mother were gone. That was bad change. After that, she and Quent spent the rest of their lives avenging the boy and the mother by hunting down the wolves who destroyed everything they loved. That was…<p>

It felt futile. All those years and they found absolutely nothing—not until they came upon Freeze City. They found three wolves there by coincidence, but it wasn't, was it? She was able to track them up to that point for a reason. After meeting Cheza, she then realized how she was able to do so. She was half-wolf. That was when she finally figured it all out. She couldn't be by Pops's side anymore. She had to embrace her inner-wolf and find a better purpose in life. This was probably the best change for everyone.

"Wait up, will ya?" Blue didn't slow down when the droll wolf called after her. She wanted to be alone—that was the only way to find her purpose—but this kid just wouldn't leave her be.

"You should go back," she advised. "Your friends are gonna leave you behind."

"That's okay. Life's pretty boring if it's only guys."

"What about that other girl?"

"You mean, Tsuki?" Hige chuckled. "Nah, Toboe already has dibs on her, and I don't think she likes me too much. She's practically one of the guys if you ask me!" He scratched his head contently as he glanced at the she-wolf. Blue only stared at him stoically.

She couldn't believe this guy. He sounded like such a pig talking about that innocent pup like that, yet he still had the audacity to follow her around. She didn't blame the poor girl for distrusting him.

This girl, Tsuki, was special, Blue could tell. She smelled of wolf and lunar flowers, but she didn't have to same sweet aura coming off of her like Cheza did. She seemed more scared and misunderstood than cheerful. Now was the perfect opportunity to ask about her.

Meanwhile, when Toboe finally caught up to the older wolves, he couldn't help rolling his eyes when he saw Hige flirting with the girl. Despite her appearance, Toboe still wasn't sure if he could trust her, but that wouldn't stop Hige from doing or saying anything he shouldn't. He stood a safe distance away so his scent wouldn't be caught too easily as they conversed.

"That Tsuki girl," Blue suddenly mentioned. "Does she happen to be close to Cheza?"

Hige hummed to himself as he thought for a moment. "I think so. When we first met her, Cheza immediately knew who she was, but Tsuki couldn't remember a thing. She didn't even recognize Cheza. She joined our pack so she could regain some of her memories."

"She lost her memories? Do you think Cheza has the power to restore them?"

"Maybe, but we'd have to find her first," Hige replied.

"Find her?" Blue questioned.

"Yeah. Cheza was taken away by a Noble named Darcia. We were going to look for her, but we don't even know where Darcia's Keep is."

"I see…"

Toboe didn't like the pensive look on her face. He thought Hige shouldn't have been telling her everything they'd been through the past few days. Maybe she'd want to get to Cheza first and use her to get to Paradise before any of them could.

The wolves soon approached a bridge with a large archway underneath. They stopped and leaned over the side, admiring the view.

"So," Hige began, "why were those guys chasing you, anyway?"

"I was looking for work, you know?"

"Work?" Hige reiterated as if it were an alien term. "I've never given it much thought."

"That's how it's s'posed to be, huh? But it's hard to let go of when it's all you've ever known." Blue stared in the space musingly as she began to pour her heart out. "For my entire life, I've been at Pops's side, just wanting to be useful to him somehow if I could. I bet from your point of view, choosing to live that way must sound like complete nonsense," she laughed as she explained to the wolf. "But the thing is, I was always happy being that way…"

Blue's eyes smiled dreamily as she remembered the time she spent with Quent and his family. Now it all seemed like a distant dream.

"If nothing had happened, I could've stayed happy forever…"

The night that dream was destroyed was something she never wanted to experience ever again. As she thought about that night the wolves devastated their home, she felt doubt in her mind that a wolf like Hige, a boy who was so jocular and innocent in his own way, would do something so inhumane.

"I don't know what happened, or if it was really wolves that could've killed everyone, but even so, that's what Pops believed."

"Man," Hige sighed, "and just because of that, he hates all wolves?" He couldn't believe it. No wolf could get away with something as horrible as burning down a town or even killing an innocent, happy family. No wolf he ever met, anyway.

Toboe had to stifle a gasp after hearing this. He didn't believe any of it, either; wolves attacking people for no apparent reason—it had to be a lie! Wolves weren't that impulsive. Maybe it wasn't Quent and Blue's fault for holding such a grudge.

"If I had stayed ignorant of what I was, I would've been able to remain at Pops's side forever. If I'd never met that girl, I could've kept on living the way I always had been. If I hadn't learned there was some wolf in me."

"So what are you gonna do now?" he asked. "You wanna go back to that guy?"

"I can't go back," she uttered. "If I did, I'd have to hunt you guys down again."

Hige grunted. "Sounds nice. I wouldn't mind being hunted down by a girl. I'm usually the one who does all the chasing. But somehow they _always_ manage to get away. Whenever I get in the mood, I always have to take a leak, kinda like right now."

Toboe rolled his eyes and stuck out his tongue in repulsion. _Hige is such a pig!_

Blue would've been revolted by the comment if he didn't make it sound like such a joke. But it was still gross. "Well, go somewhere and do it. That's disgusting."

"I'll hold it. It looks like you're ready to run."

Blue giggled. "You're nice—gross, but nice."

"Yeah, I get that all the time."

_Gee, I wonder why_, Blue and Toboe thought. Hige's humor was a bit vulgar, but in a comforting sense. Suddenly, being alone didn't sound like such a nice gig.

"Hey, why don't you come with me?" she suddenly suggested.

Toboe stopped sticking out his tongue and listened closely.

"Whereto?" Hige asked.

"Doesn't matter where, does it?"

"Sounds tempting."

The pup couldn't believe his ears. Hige was willing to leave the pack to join this female. It was like as soon as he had his eye on Blue, the others were nothing to him. Toboe couldn't allow that to happen. They would stay a pack no matter what. That was when he decided to reveal his cover.

Suddenly, as the wind drifted by the hungry wolf, a familiar scent flowed his way and a peculiar wolf pup caught his eye.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Toboe came out of his hiding spot and smiled cheekily. "Hi! Just happen to be passing by." Hige would surely kill him if he knew that he heard their entire conversation.

The pup joined the wolves on the arch and laughed childishly. The laughter was interrupted by the blasts of a shotgun.

"Was that a…?" Toboe froze when he realized where the shot came from. He quickly turned to his older companion. "Hige!"

"Damn!" he muttered. The two jumped over the bridge. Hige stopped when he realized Blue wasn't following them. "Hey! What are you doing? We gotta go!"

_We?_ she thought. It wasn't her friends that were in trouble, but maybe it was better if she helped them. She quickly jumped over the bridge before following Hige and Toboe.

When they arrived at the scene, they didn't find anyone.

"They're gone," Hige said.

Toboe glanced around the area to find any clues as to where they went. Something red suddenly caught his eye. "Looks like someone was shot," he observed.

Blue's eyes widened when she found another trail of blood going in the opposite direction. "It seems your friends decided to go separate ways."

"What?"

Hige and Toboe sniffed at the blood. Hige could only smell the gray wolf. "Kiba and Tsume must've fled that way," he said, pointing east.

"But then, this must be…" Toboe gasped. Traces of Tsuki's scent came from the miniscule trail of blood. "B-But… no, Tsuki wouldn't leave us! She's a part of our pack!"

"Maybe she got agitated when she was shot and ran away."

"But she wouldn't just abandon us like that… would she?" Toboe was growing petrified. Tsuki was hurt and alone; she wouldn't be able to protect herself in that condition.

Hige shrugged. "I don't know. That chick's unpredictable."

Toboe scowled. He never should've asked him. "I'm going after her."

Blue grabbed his arm before he could run. "I'll find her," she offered. "You two need to go after your friends and see if they're alright. You have a quest to go on, after all."

Toboe and Hige hesitated. The pup wasn't sure if he trusted this she-wolf yet; she tried to take Hige from them. Hige glanced into her eyes, noting the seriousness. He knew he could trust her.

He tugged Toboe's arm. "We need to go, runt." The pup didn't budge. "Now!"

"Don't worry, kid. I'll get bring back safely," Blue assured. Despite his distrust, Toboe decided to follow Hige. He knew if he went after her, he wouldn't be able to protect Tsuki, anyway. He wasn't as strong as the others.

"Alright."

The wolves went their separate ways—Blue going after Tsuki, and Hige and Toboe going to aid their friends. As they ran, Hige's nose cringed. "Yep, it's them alright. I can smell Tsume's blood from here." When they were close enough, the wolves could their friends in front of a trailer. An old man was pointing a gun at them. "We gotta hurry!"

When Toboe saw the problem, he immediately came up with an idea. In his wolf form, he sped up in front of Hige. "Runt, what do you think you're doing?"

"Trust me!"

Tsume and Kiba could sense him as he came closer. However, he didn't look like he was going to stop. "Toboe, what are you doing?" the gray wolf yelled. He went forward to stop him, but then he winced and held his injured arm. Even though the bullet barely grazed him, the wound still stung like hell.

The old man pointed the gun at him, but then he put it down when he saw the look on the pup's face. Toboe looked utterly defenselessly, making glassy, innocent puppy-dog eyes at him. He began begging to at a little effect.

"We're not going to do anything to you," Kiba said when the man calmed down. "So leave us alone. I don't want to fight. There's no reason to. I don't want to kill."

"Did you see the wolves?" a voice from the distance suddenly cried.

"Look over there!" another one said.

The wolves recognized the voices of the men who were still trying to kill them. "Those people want to capture us and sell us to the highest bidder," Tsume told the man. "It's up to you whether we can avoid bloodshed."

The old man growled under his breath. Toboe continued to look at him pitifully; he'd do anything to avoid death. He didn't want this man to hurt his friends, but he didn't want to hurt him, either. He knew he was too cowardly to kill an innocent senior—Granny came to mind as he continued to stare at the old man and his wife. It was too bad this guy didn't trust wolves like she did.

The other wolves also looked at him expectantly, waiting for his answer.

"Alright," he finally said. "But those men are looking for live wolves."

"Then maybe it's better if we're not alive," Tsume said. Kiba turned to him, nodding; they each had the same plan.

"Shoot at us."

"What?" Hige took Kiba's shoulder. "Weren't you just done telling him _not_ to kill us?"

"He won't have to shoot us," Tsume clarified. "Shoot around us. Make it look like you killed us. We'll make it look real."

"Ooooh…"

Their plan was actually successful. As soon as the men saw the old man shooting at the wolves on the ground, they knew they lost a great profit. The wolves waited awhile before getting up from the ground.

"That was a great plan, Tsume," Hige said.

However, the older wolf only grunted as he got up from his spot. He winced and held his arm. Toboe immediately went to his side. "Are you okay?"

"It's just a scratch," he quickly replied. "It'll heal quickly."

"What happened to Tsuki?" Tsume looked away. "What happened to her?" the pup repeated.

"She ran away to distract some of the other men," Kiba answered. "She was able to take down a few of them before she was grazed. She ran after that. Tsume tried to follow her, but…" He glanced at the older wolf, whose face showed remorse and frustration. Kiba gave him a sympathetic look. "She told us to continue on. Two other men followed her."

"We have to help her!"

"Forget it!" Everybody froze at Tsume's outburst. "She can handle it. She wouldn't have gone otherwise." His words were empty. Nobody could fathom how angry he was with himself for not going after Tsuki, his precious sister, even though she told them to not to follow her—his _younger sister_ told him to stay put and he actually _listened_. He would've gone after her, he would've defied her request, but he had to trust she knew what she was doing; she wouldn't have been so valiant if she didn't.

"But…"

"Tsume's right, runt," Hige said. "Leave it alone."

"What about that she-wolf," Tsume suddenly brought up. "Did she reject you, porky?"

Hige scowled. Tsume was back to normal. "Toboe was so worried about Tsuki, Blue went after her! Happy?"

"Enough!" Everyone looked at Kiba. "We're not getting anywhere with this constant arguing. We have to concentrate on what's really important now, and that's getting Cheza back."

"You kids sound like you're in bit of a jam," the old woman said. "If you have anywhere you need to go, we can't take you there."

"No need."

"I'm sorry about my husband. He's just so confused…"

Kiba smiled. "He's not confused. We are in fact wolves."

"Where are you going to go?" the old man asked.

"To the castle in the west," the white wolf answered. "I'm sorry we have to leave you. We're truly grateful for your help." He turned back to his companions. "Let's go." Turning into their wolf glamour, Kiba, Hige, and Tsume ran in search of Darcia's Keep.

Toboe glanced back at the old couple before following his friends. He was still terribly concerned of Tsuki's wellbeing, but he trusted Blue would find her and bring her back with them so they could all go to Paradise together.

_I know Tsuki wouldn't leave us_, he convinced himself. _We have to go to Paradise together, as a pack…_

* * *

><p>Tsuki ran as fast as she could despite her hindering wound. Even though she was only grazed, her side bled profusely. Luckily, only two of the men followed her.<p>

She couldn't believe how courageous she acted back there. It was like how she acted back when Darcia attacked them and stole Cheza—she wasn't acting on her own. It was like some mechanical instinct that was inserted inside of her. Or maybe it was just her natural instinct kicking in, telling her to protect the wolves close to her. But did that mean Tsume and Kiba were close to her? Tsume was supposedly her older brother so it made sense, while Kiba was… she had yet to figure what he was to her.

_I don't have time to think about this_, she scolded herself. _I need to avoid these guys_.

"Get back here, wolf!" one shouted.

"Your hide is ours!" the other hollered.

As soon as she was near a building, Tsuki hid behind it and jumped up to the roof. When they passed the building, she sighed. She touched her wound. It was still bleeding.

"Hey." Tsuki turned in alert but she quickly let her guard down when she saw the midnight black she-wolf—Blue, Tsuki remembered her name. "Your friends are looking for you. That pup was especially worried when he found out you ran off." Blue glanced at the wound. "Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine. It'll heal, eventually," she replied hastily. "Why'd you follow me? I thought you wanted to be alone."

Blue shrugged. "Being alone doesn't sound so fun, anymore. Come on. I'll take you to your friends."

"Hey, where'd she go?"

The wolves looked over the building to see the two men searching around the buildings still looking for Tsuki. "How'd you lose her?"

"Me? You were in front of me!"

"Doesn't matter! The boss is gonna kill us if we don't get her back!"

Blue smirked at Tsuki. "On second thought, how'd you like to give these guys a run for their money?"

Tsuki smiled. "Sounds like a plan. Maybe it could help."

"Help with what?"

"These men couldn't have walked all the way to this town," Tsuki explained. "They had to have had some kind of transportation…" Tsuki scrutinized the area until her eyes caught a car. "There!" She pointed to the pale vehicle. "We can use that to escape. It'll be faster than running, and I obviously can't run with this wound. If you can get me over there, I can hotwire it."

Blue looked at her a bit puzzled. "Alright… that sounds like a plan."

The she-wolf jumped down behind the men. When they noticed her, she ran behind another building. This gave Tsuki the chance to run over to the car. However, when she jumped off the building, her landing turned out rough, and a little whine escaped her lips. The other man chasing Blue found her.

"Hey! I found the other one!" he informed his cohort. But before he could reach her, Blue jumped in front of him and roundhouse-kicked him.

"You okay?" Tsuki nodded. "I'll hold them off. Do whatever you have to do so we can get out the hell of here."

Tsuki nodded again as she went over to the car. She looked over at Blue—who was busy beating the crap out of those thugs—before broking the door open and tossing it aside so she could reach the brakes. From the sounds of painful grunts, Blue was winning the fight. It wasn't long until she finally joined her in the car.

"Are you almost done?" she asked.

"Just a bit more…" After two sparks, the car was ready to drive off. Tsuki sat up in the seat and took the wheel. "We're on our way."

"Wait—" Tsuki already zoomed away before Blue could finish. Once they were on the road, the she-wolf began to ask again, "Where are you going? Don't you want to meet up with your friends?"

"We will," she said. "At Darcia's Keep."

* * *

><p><em><strong>R&amp;R!<strong>_


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter VIII**

Hubb was desperate. After he left the bar, he came back for the old man, Quent. Since they were both after a similar cause, they decided to hit the road together. Unfortunately, Hubb couldn't afford a car, he was practically hung over, and Quent wasn't much help with his bag of beers.

Luckily, some kid mechanic was able to give them a car—a crappy piece of junk, but a car, nonetheless.

"Eh, look at the bright side," Quent said. "At least you got a car that works."

"Assuming it does."

Hubb was actually able to get the hunk of junk running; even Quent was surprised. But it was a very slow drive.

Due to his depressed mood, Hubb was able to convince Quent take the wheel so he could drink his depression away. The older man glared at him, completely envious. Hubb had him take a pill so he could drive with a clear head while he got to lie back drinking his beer. What an ass!

"You've had a enough!" he exclaimed as he tried to take the bottle away. It was hard since he had to keep one hand on the wheel and watch the road at the same time.

"Careful!" Hubb cried. "Now just keep your eyes on the road. An attentive driver never regrets the accident he avoids."

Quent didn't give a damn. "Do you always have to talk like a cop?"

"You're on the force, too, as I recall." Quent growled under his breath, but he didn't say a word. "For crying out loud! What would make a man like you want to become a sheriff?"

He smirked. He was one to talk. "Alright then. What made you become a cop?"

"My folks," Hubb simply answered as he poured himself another shot. "Like a good little boy, I did what I was told. That's all."

Quent laughed. "Daddy's little trooper, huh?" Hubb took another shot. "Come on! Pour some for me, will ya?"

"My parents used to gang up and lecture me," he continued. "'Now, Hubb, don't go getting into trouble. There are rules in this world. Stick to the rules, and you can never go wrong.'" Quent laughed again. "You think that's funny? Nothing was ever funny to me. I did exactly what they said and followed every rule in the book. But I still—" He began to chug the bottle.

"Don't chug it!" Quent reprimanded him.

Hubb began choking, but he quickly calmed down. "And then I take a wrong turn. When the hell did I go wrong?" he asked himself.

"So, did that include your marriage?"

"What?"

"Was getting married your parents' idea, too?" he clarified.

"No. Cher and I were… Well, we first met through a friend of mine. It was love at first sight."

At first, Quent had no idea how to react to what Hubb had just said. But then, he began cackling louder than he had before. What a cliché thing to say! Love at first sight? Who did this guy think he was? And the look on his face—priceless! He couldn't tell if his cherry-red face was from embarrassment or inebriation.

It soon became late afternoon. Hubb and Quent were lucky to get far with the car, even when Hubb had them stop so he could vomit. He wasn't a heavy drinker, so he couldn't handle how much alcohol he put in his body.

Quent took this time to take a leak.

"You haven't done anything wrong," he said as Hubb continued to purge out the contents of his stomach. "And despite your concerted efforts, believe me, you ain't such a good little boy."

When Hubb was composed again, he stared up Quent, as if they reached a certain understanding with each other. He still found it hard to believe he had something in common with this old man, beside the fact that they both used to work on the force. He didn't even notice that it was beginning to snow.

"Didn't you say something about there being side effects in that thing?" Quent suddenly asked. "I'm pissing a freaking river here."

The two continued down the road even as the snow blew hard. Hubb was asleep on the passenger's side. The alcohol really put him out. Quent stared at the road ahead with much determination. But the snow wasn't making it easy for him to drive.

"Can't see a thing, damn it," he murmured. "Can't hear either. What a night."

Suddenly a black figure ran in front of the car. Quent immediately hit the brakes, recognizing the dog's form. The abrupt stop made Hubb hit his head against the windshield, waking him from his nap.

When they stopped, Quent ran out of the car. "Blue!" He ran in the snow in an effortless attempt to catch up with his dog. However, Blue was nowhere in sight.

"What's the matter?" Hubb asked from the car.

Quent headed back to the car, completely indifferent about the illusion he just saw. "Forget it," he said. "It was nothing."

* * *

><p>Blue felt awkward. She was riding in a car with a 15-year-old girl at the wheel. What was she thinking? She couldn't let the girl go out on her own because of her injury—which was just about healed by now—but why didn't she try to stop her? She promised she'd take Tsuki back to the pack, but now they were driving to Darcia's Keep. There were so many things she wanted to ask the pup, and what better time now when they were both trapped in a moving vehicle?<p>

"So, kid," she said. "I have a few questions."

"Go ahead," Tsuki said. She laid back against her seat with one hand on the wheel, like she drove for a living.

"When'd you learn how to hotwire a car, and when'd you learn how to drive it?" When she didn't answer, Blue quickly added, "You don't have to answer if you don't want to. It's none of my business, but…"

"It's okay." Tsuki considered how she was going to answer the question, carefully. "My friend taught me. He… was a scientist. He taught me many things, like how to manipulate machines. He told me learning a skill like that could help me one day."

"That's… impressive." Blue wondered what kind of person would teach a pup something like this. "Who is this friend?"

Tsuki's expression suddenly fell. "He's… a close, personal friend that I care about very much. I had to separate from him when I joined the pack."

Blue sighed. "I know how that feels. Those three friends of yours despise me because I used to hunt them down with a human. He hates wolves because… they destroyed everything we loved. Our home, our family… Pops was the only person I had left in my life. When I found out I was half-wolf, I knew my destiny was different. I couldn't hunt wolves anymore; they're a part of me, and a part of my past.

"Despite his loathing toward wolves, I still love Pops. He's the only family I had."

"Was leaving him really worth it, then?" Blue looked at her, a bit shocked by her sudden response. "One person you were really close to, the one person you could rely on, you leave behind for something that may not even exist. In the end, there may be nothing, so there is nothing left in this world that you can rely on."

Blue smirked. "I don't see it that way. When I left Pops, I saw it as a new opportunity to live a better life, to look for _my_ Paradise."

It was Tsuki's turn to act surprised. She almost turned the wheel the wrong way, but she quickly gained control.

Then she laughed. "That's ridiculous. Paradise isn't real."

Blue laughed with her. "I guess you're right." But that wasn't what she meant.

"For some reason, though, my friend actually believes that Paradise may be real."

"Is that why he left you with that pack?"

Tsuki never considered it. He believed Cheza could help her regain her lost memories. Part of her past had something to do with Paradise, but she didn't want to be a part of that. Every time she thought about Paradise, the empty feeling in her chest filled up with loneliness and fear. She _hated_ those feelings.

"He told me it was for my own good," she confessed. "But he also told me I had a different purpose. Now after all the time I've spent with Kiba and Cheza and…" She was going to say Toboe, but a fluttery feeling in her chest suddenly arose. Blue got the picture. "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do anymore. Heck, I can't remember who I am!" The car swerved a bit, but Tsuki quickly grabbed control over the wheel again.

"Maybe we should stop," Blue suggested. Time was of the essence, but Tsuki seemed too distracted to drive at the moment and Blue had no idea how to drive a car.

Tsuki stopped the car. "I'm sorry."

Blue shook her head. "It's fine. I know how you feel. Before Pops's kid found me, I was just a confused pup who didn't have a clue." She looked out the window. "At first, I thought I was just doing this as a favor to your friends for forgiveness. Now I understand wolves like us need to stay together. I'm not letting my eyes off you during this trip."

Tsuki smiled. Having a she-wolf around felt different, but in a better way. They had more in common than the others. "Maybe we can help each other, you know, recover our memories."

Blue smirked. "Maybe. Now, let's go find Cheza."

Silence once again enveloped the car as Tsuki continued to drive towards Darcia's Keep. It soon began to snow, and the snow quickly turned into a flurry. With her incredible vision, Tsuki was able to see through the terrible weather and stay on their clear path. Tsuki really enjoyed the snow—obviously not at this moment, but it was still nice. It was as redolent as the Song of the Moon, like she could reach a distant memory.

Blue looked at the window, watching the snow as well. It never snowed in Kyrios, but seeing it was also very familiar to her. The reminiscent feeling suddenly made her feel bad, so she looked away from the window and back at the pup.

Tsuki looked exhausted and a bit preoccupied. Her wound was gone but Blue was still concerned. "Hey, Tsuki. I think we should stop and rest. You need it."

"I'm fine."

"But you're still recovering—" The car suddenly hit a bump in the road. "That can't be good."

That was when Tsuki saw something ahead of them, or rather nothing. She hit the brakes hard, but the car continued to skid across the ice. Tsuki pushed harder. The force of the breaks made the car tip over, and it tumbled across the road. It finally came to a stop on its side.

Blue grunted as she busted the door open. "Tsuki, are you okay?"

The pup winced as she turned herself right side up. She nodded stiffly.

A creaking sound erupted under the car. "We have to get out of here!" Blue climbed out of the car before she pulled Tsuki up with her. When they were out, the car plummeted into a precipice. Blue sighed. "That was a close one." Tsuki, however, was on the ground, recovering from the blunt accident. "Are you hurt?"

Tsuki grimaced. "It's… it's just my head. I-I'll be fine."

"You're bleeding."

Tsuki touched her forehead. Sure enough, she could feel blood dripping down her forehead. "It's just a scratch." When she tried to stand, she stumbled back.

"You can't walk in this condition." A gust of wind harshly blew at them. "Or in this weather."

"I'm the only one who knows the way to Darcia's Keep. I'll be fine."

Blue eye's narrowed. Tsuki's eyes were unfocused and she was completely in vertigo, but she knew she wouldn't quit even in this unstable condition. "Fine. But if you get any worse, I'm carrying you."

Tsuki sighed. "Alright."

The wolves continued their journey on foot. For some reason, Tsuki was running like her life depended on it. Blue did her best to try and catch up with her in the blizzard. "Tsuki! Hold on!" Her words fell on deaf ears. The pup was persistent, despite her stumbling and lightheadedness.

As they continued forward, a light shone in Blue's periphery. She stopped a moment to look back and saw nothing.

She scoffed to herself. _The blizzard's pulling tricks on me_, she thought to herself.

Blue continued to run after Tsuki, but she no longer see her in the storm. "Tsuki! Tsuki, where are you?" A figure was protruding out of the snow. It was the pup herself. "Tsuki!" Blue ran over to Tsuki's unconscious form. She'd become so weak, she changed back into her original form: a feeble gray pup. "Tsuki, wake up!"

The pup stirred a bit. "Blue…"

"Don't fall asleep on me now, kid. I'll find us a place to rest. Just bear with me until then."

Blue was able to put Tsuki on her back and carry her. It was much easier to maneuver through the snow in her wolf form. She was able to find a jagged formation for them to hide in. It was a strange cave, having a metallic inside, but Blue didn't care. She set Tsuki down gently and touched her forehead. Blood was seeping through her bangs and fell down her face.

"Oh no. Tsuki, are you still with me?"

The girl nodded slowly. "My head…"

"It'll be okay. Just close your eyes and rest for a moment." Tsuki was already out cold.

Blue needed something to stop the bleeding. However, the wound began to heal in front of her eyes. Tsuki's head was completely flawless, besides the blood that was still on her head. Although wolves healed faster than other beings, Tsuki's wound miraculously disappeared on the spot, faster than she'd thought possible. This made Blue question Tsuki even more. Was she really a wolf, or was she some half breed like herself?

_Maybe we're not so different._

Suddenly, a squawk sounded outside the cave. Blue stood in front of the sleeping pup protectively. Into the cave flew a majestic black and gray bird with red feathers hidden underneath its wings and tail. It landed near Tsuki.

"Who the hell are you?" Blue asked.

The bird squawked at her indignantly, which she figured meant "None of your business." She frowned at it. When she reached out to grab it, the bird flew behind Tsuki and screeched.

"I'd appreciate if you didn't touch me," it said.

Blue scowled at the bird. "Sorry. Who are you, exactly?"

"My name is Shouta. I've come in search of Tsuki here, orders from my master, Tora."

"'Tora'?" This must've been the "friend" Tsuki was talking about, Blue thought. "Who is this Tora?"

"My only orders were to search for her and lead her to Darcia's Keep. It's not in my place to tell you about my master."

Blue wondered if Tsuki planned for this to happen. She was so bent on going there, but she never gave the older wolf a reason why she was in such a hurry. "Well, she's in no condition to go anywhere right now, especially in this blizzard. How'd _you_ able to fly through this storm?"

"I am not obligated to answer," Shouta replied as he shook his feathers of snow. Maybe this was why birds and wolves didn't get along. "She'll recover quickly. Until then, I will wait here until she wakes up."

Blue sighed. Now she was stuck in a cave with an unconscious wolf and a smart-alecky bird. What joy.

* * *

><p>The drive was long, and the car broke down on numerous occasions, but Hubb and Quent finally made it to the next town the next day. The trip was somewhat tolerable, and the men were able to learn more about each other. They hoped they never had to do that again.<p>

This town wasn't their destination, though. Hubb hoped to find Cher here, but he wouldn't just abandon the old man. He'd probably pass out on the street without someone lifting him up.

"Alright, how about we meet back here at nightfall," Quent said.

"Sure," Hubb agreed. "We'll decide then whether or not to get a hotel."

"So what's your plan? How're you going to find her?"

"I'll just act like a cop. Start working the beat."

Quent smirked and began walking away. "Fight hard for her or you'll always regret what could've been."

Hubb watched the old man as he was on his way, mostly likely searching for a bar. From then on, Hubb went around town asking people if they'd seen Cher. So far, he had no results, and he was starting to give up. When he had a lead, the path to Cher always slipped through his fingers.

Evening turned up sooner than expected, and Hubb still hadn't found Cher. He was exhausted. He stopped near an empty fountain. He sat down on the edge and put his hand to his head. He was beginning to think that he would never be able to find his ex—he'd never be able to fix their relationship.

The flapping of wings suddenly brought him out of his distressed trance, and he looked as he heard the clicking of heels coming toward him. Beyond the foliage of pigeons was a young woman. At first, he thought he finally cracked and his mind was playing cruel tricks on him. But as the two looked into each other's eyes, they both realized that it wasn't a dream. Their meeting was completely, palpably real.

They ran to each other, crying their names in joy and relief. As soon as Cher was in his arms, Hubb nuzzled his face in his hair, taking in her sweet scent. "Is this a dream?" he asked. "I can't tell. I've had so many dreams about you."

After a moment of embrace, the couple decided to go to a café and catch up.

"Lord Orkham's been killed," Hubb told her. "On the way into town I saw a military caravan, but I don't have the slightest idea where they're headed. I think something insane is about to happen."

"No," Cher said. "It's been insane all along."

"All along?" Hubb sighed. She had been playing this ruse with him for so long; he was getting tired of her riddles and secrets. "Oh please, Cher. I need to know—what are you trying to do?"

"I'm going to Lord Darcia's Keep," she informed him without a second thought. She was also tired of lying.

"Darcia's Keep? But why?"

"Because that's where Cheza is."

Hubb frowned. He should've known this was about the Flower Maiden. "No, you're wrong."

"I'm not wrong! I saw her! But now I…"

"What else did you see? Why won't you look me in the eye?"

Cher did look him in the eye, but then she quickly looked down at her mug. The haunting images of "Lupa" appeared clearly in her mind. "I met him," she confessed. "I met Darcia." Hubb was able to stifle a gasp, but a surprised breath did manage to escape. "I'm sorry, Hubb. I can't tell how happy I am that you came all this way to find me, but I have to go."

"But why, Cher?"

"I don't know why!" She lied. She knew exactly why she had to leave; she had to know the truth about Cheza and her relationship with Lupa. For some reason, she couldn't tell Hubb about that. Maybe Darcia was lying to her, tricking her so she couldn't find out the truth. It made her even more curious. "It's just—It's something I have to do. Please try to understand. I have to find out Cheza's true purpose. I'm being drawn to something, Hubb, and I need to know what it is."

Hubb had a stony look on his face. "Alright, then I'll go with you." Cher shook her head. "Then why in the hell did you leave this thing for me to read!" He slammed _The Book of the Moon_ down on the table. "I'm going with you."

Without another word, the two left to go back to the car. Quent was waiting in the backseat. When he saw that Hubb had returned, he was surprised to find a young woman in the passenger's seat. He stared at Hubb in disbelief.

_The bastard actually did it._

And with that last thought, the three were on their way to Darcia's Keep.

* * *

><p>Before the wolves began the journey, they went back into town to plan their next move. Paradise was still a priority, but Kiba was able to convince them that they needed to find Cheza first. Since she was the Flower Maiden, she was the key to opening the doors to Paradise.<p>

The pack was skeptical. Hige wondered if Blue was okay (and he was worried about Tsuki, too). Toboe was still moping about Tsuki's departure. He hoped Blue was able to find her so they could all go to Paradise together. Tsume was also worried about his little sister and he didn't like Kiba's plan very much. The white wolf was only concerned about Cheza, and himself for that matter. He didn't care about the missing members or if the rest of them would survive their next ordeal with Darcia again. But he agreed to go just so he could keep on eye on him.

Soon the pack was on their way. It wasn't long until they ran into the blizzard, too. The snow was slowing down their journey, but they persevered.

However, Toboe was having trouble keeping up with the rest of them. Seeing this, Hige looked up back at Kiba, who was the fastest of them all. "Kiba!" he called out to the alpha. The alpha kept going. Hige trudged past Tsume to get to him. "Damn it! Will you wait up!" He grabbed Kiba's shoulder and turned him around. Hige was so out of breath, he didn't have enough energy to yell at him. "Come on… you're going too fast!" he said in between breaths. "Let's take a break."

"We don't have time for that," Kiba quickly replied.

"Will you use your head for once! We've got a little kid with us!"

"I can hear you, you know!" Toboe shouted. He was finally able to catch up with them after they stopped. He rested his hands on his knees to catch his breath. Despite his fatigue, he still wanted to find Tsuki as soon as possible. "Don't stop for me. I can keep up. Let's keep going."

"You realize _he's _the one who wants to rest, don't you?" Tsume pointed out. "I would've thought you'd want to go ahead so we could find your girlfriend."

"I do not!" Hige denied. "I just—"

"But you've got to admit he does have a point." Kiba and Tsume glared at each other. Even though they were in a rush, Tsume wasn't willing to have his friends die in this blizzard because of Kiba's shortsighted decisions. "At this rate, none of us will make it. We can take shelter in those rocks until the storm clears."

The pack looked over at the formation that resembled a cave. "That settles it, then!" Hige declared. "Can you hang in a little longer, runt?"

Toboe nodded assertively. "No problem."

The two were already making their way to the rocks. Kiba was still glaring at Tsume. He didn't appreciate the older wolf taking charge when they had a deadline. Tsume wasn't fazed by this. "Let's go." Tsume didn't wait for him to follow.

The formation did look more jagged and dangerous closer up, but staying in there was better than trudging forward in the storm. It was metal instead of rock. It was probably the remains of a Noble's aircraft. When the wolves were inside, they found two she-wolves and a hawk.

"Blue!" Hige cried. He ran up to the she-wolf eagerly. "Glad to see you're okay. And you found Tsuki."

However, Toboe froze up when he saw them. Tsuki, in her wolf form, looked pale and very exhausted. There was dry blood on her forehead and in her bangs. "Tsuki…"

"Don't worry, kid," Blue said. "She's fine. She's just resting. We were in a bit of an accident, so I took us here."

Toboe slowly approached the slumbering pup. Her sweet breath blew against his fur. The feeling relieved him. Tsuki was fine and she was here with him. Now they could go to Paradise. The blood on her head was still bothering him, though. He gently licked it off. When it was gone, he saw small gray dots on the lavender fur of her forehead. They looked like a flower. He didn't notice the mark before, maybe because it was always hidden behind her bangs.

The mark disappeared when Tsuki turned over. She must've been really tired if she didn't wake up to his tongue. Toboe was also exhausted, so he decided to rest with Tsuki in his wolf form.

Meanwhile, as the last two wolves entered the cave, Tsume growled at the sight he was witnessing. Toboe was resting his head on top of Tsuki's, one paw draped over her back. He was relieved to find his sister unharmed, but the sight of the pups "cuddling" vexed him.

"So, is the bird for eating, 'cause I'm starving," Hige said.

"The bird is for Tsuki," Blue answered him. "He said he has a message from this guy named Tora."

"Tora?" everyone echoed, except for Tsume.

Suddenly, the young she-pup began to stir. Toboe quickly got off her back and watched as she arose. Tsuki was in her human façade by the time she woke up. She rubbed her head gently feeling for any unchecked wounds. Her tired eyes began to focus and widened when they saw the pup in front of her. "Toboe? What—How…?"

"Tsuki, you're okay!" Toboe hugged Tsuki. She welcomed the warm feeling. "We finally found you! Now we can go find Cheza together."

"Speaking of the Flower Maiden…" The hawk swooped down next to the two wolves.

"Shouta? What are you doing here?"

"Tora has sent me to tell you that Jaguara's forces have invaded Darcia's Keep. Cheza is there now."

_So Cheza is at Darcia's Keep_, Kiba thought. He eyed Tsuki in suspicion. So she was associated with that Noble—he knew what he saw the night Cheza was taken away wasn't in his imagination.

"What about Tora? What happened to him?" Tsuki asked anxiously.

"I believe it would be better if you come and see yourself."

"Come with you? But…" Tsuki looked outside.

Tsume followed her gaze and saw the blizzard as sat near the entrance of the door. He wasn't sure what Tora wanted, but he didn't want his sister following a stupid bird in this blizzard just so she could help him. "The sun will be up soon," Tsume said. "We should rest until then."

"What do you say Kiba?" Hige asked. "I mean the storm will blow itself out by morning."

"It already has." Everybody looked at the wolf as if he were crazy. It was like he was blind—blinded by his obsession to find Cheza and go to Paradise. "Come on. It'll be fine."

"Well none of us will be fine!" Tsume shouted.

Kiba merely stared at him. "Do what you want. I'm leaving."

Blue immediately stood up. "I can handle it," she said.

"Yeah," Toboe said as he also stood. "Let's keep going." Tsuki hesitated next to him.

"No," Hige spoke out. "I'm not going anywhere till morning."

Kiba glared at him, too. "I understand."

As he began his departure, Tsuki immediately called after him, "Wait! I'll come with you."

"What!" Toboe exclaimed. "Tsuki, you can't! It's too dangerous!"

"I don't care. I have to go." She didn't expect him, or anyone, to understand.

"You should listen to Toboe," Kiba said. "You better stay here."

"No. I'm going. Shouta can fly faster than either us of can run. And besides, would you rather go into that storm blind or have a guide lead you to Darcia's Keep in a straight path?" Tsuki was drawing him in. She knew Kiba was suspicious of her, too, and she was bound to know how she was involved in her past. But that wouldn't stop her from reaching _her_ goal. Kiba seemed like the impulsive type; she wanted to watch him just in case he did something unnecessary.

Kiba considered for a moment. Tsuki was obviously concerned about Tora's wellbeing, and Cheza's. If she came, he could keep a close eye on her. "Fine. Let's go."

"Shouta!"

The bird nodded before flying out into the oblivion of the storm. Kiba immediately ran outside. Toboe grabbed Tsuki's arm before she could leave.

"Let me come with you," he said.

Tsuki shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry, Toboe. I can't have you risking your life for me." To his surprise, she kissed his cheek. "We'll see each other soon, and then we can go to Paradise together." And with that, Tsuki ran out into the blizzard after Kiba.

"Tsuki!" Toboe cried out.

"Let 'em go," Hige said with a growl.

"But why?"

"Right now, the only thing Kiba see is Cheza, and all Tsuki can see is Tora. It doesn't make any difference whether we're with them or not."

"We'll follow them once the storm blows over," Tsume added. "For now, just get some rest and don't worry about it." Although he was calm on the inside, he was extremely pissed allowing his sister to enter that storm with Kiba. He hoped the wolf wouldn't do anything stupid while she was with him.

"Hige, you sure about this?" Blue asked. After spending some time alone with Tsuki, she suddenly felt overprotective of her. She should've gone after her and she still wanted to, but they were long gone.

Hige rubbed his head, exasperated. "Kiba obsesses too much. What can you do?"

Toboe, on the other hand, was still unsure, but he decided not to argue. After they just reunited, Tsuki _and_ Kiba left in search of Darcia's Keep. And Tsuki just _kissed_ him (on the cheek, but it still made his cheeks warm up). It made him so upset that he didn't follow them, but he knew he was weak go into the storm again. He would just have to rest like Tsume said and wait to meet up like Tsuki promised. That was all he was good at, after all.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry it took so long! I was doing NANOWRIMO, but I epically failed, again. I'll try and do better next year!<strong>

**Also, in Chapter II, Darcia told Cher about a wolf name "Lupe", but it was meant to be "Lupa". I changed it just to let you folks know if you didn't notice.**

_**R&R!**_


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter IX**

The snow stung Tsuki's eyes as she ran. Now that she had fully recovered the blow she took in that car accident, she could see through the storm more clearly. But that didn't stop the snow from being a huge hindrance.

Shouta was an excellent flyer and navigator. She trusted that he could take them straight to Darcia's Keep. It was just a matter of them keeping up. The deep snow made it harder for them to run. Kiba was on a roll, but Tsuki, on the other hand, was falling behind. She didn't want to look weak, especially in front of Kiba, so she didn't stop running even though her legs already felt like they would give under any minute now.

"You okay?" she suddenly heard. Kiba stopped to see if how she was doing.

Tsuki ran past him. "Don't stop. I'm fine."

Kiba smirked. He saw through her. She was acting tough even though she was having a hard time catching up to him. This girl was headstrong for a pup. He was impressed by her diligence.

After what seemed like hours of running, the storm had cleared and the wolves and the hawk finally made it to Darcia's Keep. The place looked broken and dark, and the gray sky and gloomy clouds made it seem eerier. Gates surrounded the perimeter, and a bristly building lay in front of them. Something felt really off about the place, Tsuki observed, and there was a rotten smell in the air. It smelled like…

_Is this… blood?_

Kiba grimaced next to her, as if he were thinking the same thing. He could only imagine the terrible things Darcia did to Cheza.

_I'll kill him if he lays a hand on her._

As they treaded forward, they noticed a car parked in the middle of the entranceway. "Someone made it here before us," Tsuki pointed out.

Kiba could detect perfume and a trace of alcohol. There was that scent he could depict from it… That hunter was here.

"What do we do?" Tsuki asked Kiba.

"There's nothing we can do about the humans," he replied. "And nothing can be helped if we run into them. We just keep going, and hopefully they'll mind their own business." Though he doubted that that hunter would stick his nose out of a wolf's business because he was still after their blood, but Kiba couldn't help it if he had to shed some blood while they were lurking around. Nothing would get in his way of finding Cheza.

"Shouta, where's Tora?" Tsuki asked the hovering bird.

"He's With Darcia. Cheza is with them as well."

"Where are they?" Kiba demanded forcefully.

Tsuki backed him away from Shouta, who simply flew further ahead. "Calm down, Kiba. Tora wouldn't let Darcia harm Cheza. He obviously knew we would be coming. If you want to get to her faster, you have to make haste and be diligent; you can't do anything irrational. I have a feeling that these humans aren't the ones we should be worrying about."

Kiba nodded, taking her words into consideration. He had a feeling someone else was here, and they really didn't belong here. They had to reach Cheza before they could lay their hands on her. But Tsuki was right. If they wanted to get to her faster, then he couldn't be doing anything impulsive. He had to have an open mind.

"Alright," he said. "Let's go."

As they walked, Tsuki began to think about what would happen after they found Cheza and Tora. She knew the only reason Kiba came with her was to find Cheza. But she wasn't sure if she would go back to the pack with them once she found Tora. The only reason why he didn't take her to Darcia's Keep with him was the risk. Suddenly, Tora sends Shouta for her. Now that she was here, she didn't see anything else that could possibly get in the way of that. But then there was the pack. During her journey with them, she only gained one memory, courtesy of Tsume, and it was terrifying. If she was gone, she wondered what he would do then. She was, supposedly, his younger sister and probably the only family he had left. Hige had Blue, so she doubted he would miss her much. Toboe would definitely be the most heart-broken.

_Toboe…_

"Tsuki," Kiba said. "I know you're confused. Before he left, Tora told me you had a difficult past, one you can't even recall, but it's okay. Once we find them, you can do whatever you wish. I'm sure whatever you decide, Toboe will support it, and so will Tora."

Tsuki's eyes drooped. Were her thoughts that obvious? "If he's still okay."

"Tsuki," Shouta suddenly called. "This way."

The wolves sped up as he flew faster away from them. Tsuki hadn't been in Darcia's Keep before, but the interior was similar to Tora's old laboratory. Just around the next corner, she expected to see a protruding hallway with large double doors at the end. Cheza and Tora would be inside.

Around the corner, she saw the doors just like she predicted, but there was something else. Tsuki nearly screamed at the sight, but she quickly stifled her yelp with her hands. The floor was littered with men clad in black armor. The smell of blood permeated the air, making the young she-wolf nauseous. The sight made Kiba growl. Cheza was on the other side of that door. They could've gotten to her, but something stopped them. Among the human of blood, he could trace a bit of wolf.

_Tora…_

"Tora must've stopped them before they could get inside," Tsuki murmured through her fingers. "His blood's all over the place." She removed her hands from her mouth and wrapped her arms around her body. "I can smell _her_, too…" she murmured inaudibly. Kiba could hear her faintly and also detected another stranger's scent among the vast amount of bodies scattered on the floor. The smell was sour.

"Do you know who these soldiers are? What are they doing here?"

Tsuki's eyes began to tear up. "They're Jaguara's men."

"Jaguara?"

"She's… a monster."

Kiba didn't say anymore. Talking about this Jaguara obviously made her upset. Taking the petrified girl's hand, he quickly led her through the bloody pathway to the doors. Once upon the doors, he could see they were already cracked open, which meant they could easily slip inside and do what they came to do.

Turning to the terrified pup, Kiba squeezed her hand a bit tighter and said, "Let's do this."

…

Cheza stiffened. She could feel them. They were just behind that door.

The black wolf lying in her lap glanced up at the door, also sensing the newcomers. "They're here," he said. He shifted uncomfortably as he tried to stand. Cheza helped him before facing the door again.

"Kiba…"

Inside, the room was colder—the blizzard they endured was just a cool breeze compared to this room—and it smelled less like blood than it did outside. It almost seemed sterile, and it was extremely quiet. The only sounds heard were the beeping of a monitor and the creaking of the opening door.

Once the door was open, two wolves were revealed, one pure white and the other a grayish-lavender.

"Kiba!" The Flower Maiden ran to the boy.

Once she was in his arms, Kiba hugged her tightly, his nose taking in her flowery scent. "Cheza…"

The Flower Maiden released him when she noticed the wolf next to them. "Tsuki!" She hugged the girl. "This one missed you, too."

Tsuki didn't answer. She only continued to stare at the being in the metallic bed on the other side of the room. She felt someone inside that thing calling to her, but the voice was warm and fuzzy, something she didn't recognize. She was almost entranced by it.

Kiba stopped watching the two when he noticed the Noble standing in front of him. Tora held his left arm securely. He noticed it was injured. Tsuki was right; he must've been the one who fended off those soldiers. But he was still curious as to why they were here in the first place. He wanted answers, now. "Why is Cheza here, Tora? What does Darcia want with her?"

Tora's gaze suddenly turned somber, almost guilty. "He thought she could help her."

"Help who?"

"Hamona." Tsuki's monotone voice echoed through the chamber. Cheza released her and watched the gaze in her eyes. They were like vapid pools.

Tsuki began walking away from Kiba and Cheza towards the metallic bed. She even walked past Tora, which surprised Kiba very much. When he tried going forward to stop her, Cheza grabbed his arm and shook her head. "Cheza?" She shook her head again. Kiba complied and continued to watch the girl as she walked. "Tora, what's going on? Why is Tsuki acting so strange?"

Tora frowned. "Kiba, just take Cheza and get out of here."

"I'm not leaving until I get an explanation."

Tora's cold gaze locked onto the white wolf's equally harsh glare. "You have no idea what's going on. It's better if you don't know. Now just take Cheza and go before it's too late!"

As soon as she was at the metallic bed, Tsuki looked upon the beautiful woman lying inside. She was completely bare; her long, luscious, platinum blonde hair and the wires attached to her were the only things covering her body. Her lips were shiny and moist, and her eyes were closed. Tsuki imagined they were just as gorgeous as her hair and the rest of her body. Even though this woman was static, she could hear a majestic voice coming from her, calling out for help. One name constantly came up:

_Darcia…_

Tsuki ran her hand over the woman's body. Her hand trembled. She could _feel_ her soul. She knew wolves had this sixth sense and were capable of detecting someone on the verge of death, but she could literally feel this woman's feeble soul dissipating from her body in her delicate hands. She didn't know why, but she felt obligated to help this woman before she was completely gone. And she knew exactly what to do. Tsuki traced her hand over the woman's forehead. It began to glow, and soon, Tsuki's mind left her head and wandered into the woman's body…

-X-

_Hamona ran through the fields away from her lover, Darcia. She continued to run until she was near a lake. She then collapsed on her back, basking in the glow of the sun. This was her Paradise—their Paradise. And nothing was going to get in the way of that. Not even her sister._

Jaguara…

_The thought of her sister made her jump. A soft hand touched her back. "What's wrong, love?"_

_Hamona turned to Darcia, who had a warm smile on his face. She grinned back. "Nothing, my love." Suddenly, she put her arms around Darcia's neck and hugged him tightly. "Darcia, do you promise you won't leave me? We'll stay here forever, away from the war, from everything that can take away our happiness. Nothing can take this away from us, right?"_

_Darcia chuckled. "You ask me this every day, my love. I will never leave you. We'll stay here, if that is what you wish."_

_Hamona closed her eyes. "Yes. I would like that very much."_

"_And I promise that no matter what happens, I won't let any harm come to you."_

"_I know you won't."_

_The warm feeling coming from Darcia's embrace soothed her, and her sister was once again forgotten. When she opened her eyes again, Hamona gazed at the lake. Surprisingly, she saw a young girl in a white summer dress standing in the middle of the lake. She gazed at her with kindness and concern. How did this girl get here? No one could get into their Paradise. No one could ruin their dream._

_Hamona stood as the girl advanced towards them. "Darcia." She tried to warn her lover, but she received no response from him. The warm feeling was gone. Next to her was now a red wolf with dichromatic eyes. The right was her Darcia's delicate blue eye. The left one was a wolf's eye._

_Hamona's eyes dilated. She knew of Darcia's curse, but she never thought she'd see it before her very eyes. Now her Darcia was gone and replaced by this vicious beast. This had to be Jaguara's doing. It just had to be. She was after her happiness, here to take it away. As she backed away, something pulled the back of her white gown. The girl was behind her, gripping her dress. Her feet were still in the water. When she looked into her eyes, Hamona found wholly red. She recognized those eyes._

"_Cheza?" Hamona questioned. The girl shook her head. "Then who are you? Why are you here?"_

"_I'm here to save you."_

"_Save me?" The red wolf next to her snapped at the young girl. He obviously didn't want her anywhere near Hamona, let alone to save her. "Darcia, stop it!" The wolf wouldn't listen. "What's happened to him? This isn't my Darcia!"_

"_Of course it's not. This world isn't real. That wolf is an illusion. The real Darcia is waiting for you outside of this realm."_

"_How do I know you're not an illusion?"_

_The girl let go of her dress and stepped out of the water. A lavender-gray wolf took her place._

_Hamona backed away from her. "What are you, another one of my sister's wolves? Are you here to take me away? Is that why my Darcia turned into that beast? Is that why he's gone?"_

"_I was created to cure you. Hamona, you have Paradise sickness. You're stuck in the deepest realm of your mind, in a fantasy you created for you and Darcia—your own Paradise. This Paradise, that wolf, everything in this world isn't real. Your real body is in Darcia's Keep. You're stuck in a coma, and I am here to take you out of it and bring you back to reality."_

"_Who sent you here?"_

"_I came on my own. I told you, I was created to help you. My creator is someone you know by the name of Tora."_

"_Tora? Torasuto, Darcia's younger brother?" The wolf nodded. "What is your name?"_

"_I was originally named Tsuki, but due to my circumstance, you may call me Lupa, your humble guardian and servant." The young wolf named Lupa bowed her head to the beautiful woman._

_Seeing this humbling wolf, Hamona knew she could trust her. She knelt down to Lupa and wrapped her arms around her neck. Her fur was extremely soft and it smelled of lunar flowers. "Strange. I had mistaken you for Cheza because of your eyes. But now I see there's more to you. I know I can trust you." She hugged the wolf tautly. "Take me home. Take me back to my Darcia."_

_Lupa closed her eyes. She had finally done it. Her mission was complete. Now they could leave this place and return to the real world. "As you wish, Milady Hamona…"_

-X-

Once she was out of that trance, Tsuki felt a dizzy sensation. She put a hand to her head as the other reached for the metallic bed for support. She couldn't recall what just happened. All she knew was that her head ached and a feeling of relief washed over her. What had she done?

When her vertigo had recovered, Tsuki glanced at the woman in the metallic bed. She felt as if she knew this woman… Her head began to ache again. Tsuki clasped the edge of the metallic bed and clenched her teeth.

_What the hell is wrong with me?_

"_Get away from her!_" Tsuki gasped as something hit her across the room. She cried out in pain when her head made contact with a wall.

"Darcia, stop it!" she heard Tora yell. An exasperated growl followed after that, which Tsuki assumed was Kiba.

The same hand that sent her flying across the cold chamber lifted her up by the throat, suffocating her. Tsuki clawed at the hand but it was no use. The hand was protected by a leather fabric. And the more she struggled, the tighter the hand squeezed her delicate neck. She howled in pain, but it didn't sound like a howl this time. It was like a siren, the cry of the Flower Maiden.

"Tsuki, no!" Kiba growled. "Let go of her!"

Kiba lunged at the man holding Tsuki by the throat. Darcia immediately dropped her to the ground to fend off the white wolf. They both ended up with cuts on their cheeks.

The Noble was about to lunge at him again when, suddenly, a voice, all too sweet and familiar to his ears, called out faintly, "Darcia..."

* * *

><p>"So this is the Keep of Darcia," Tsume observed. The pack had waited for the storm the clear just as Kiba and Tsuki left. There was more snow on the ground, but it wasn't as troublesome with it blowing in their faces. Now that they were here, Tsume could sense his sister inside. He couldn't believe Tora lived in a place like this and she would want to follow him here. It looked absolutely wicked.<p>

"Place looks like it should be haunted," Hige said, as if he read his mind.

"By what?" Toboe asked curiously.

Hige smirked. "By the ghosts of all the cursed Nobles!"

Toboe grimaced. "Come on. Don't say stuff like that!" He was still extremely worried about Tsuki and what kind of trouble she could be in just by being here. He didn't know why Tora wanted her to come to this creepy place, but he knew that Tsuki was compliant to do anything that man said regardless of where he wanted her to go. She'd risk her life just to be with him. Who knew what kind of things were in there—even the thought of ghosts scared him.

"But still," Blue said, breaking Hige out of his laughter, "are you sure that girl's inside of there? And what about Kiba and Tsuki?" Even though she was also still worried about Tsuki, Blue was still curious about the Flower Maiden. Those two were alike in ways that almost made her wonder what Tsuki exactly was. She didn't want to question her wolf ferocity, but she still held on to her suspicions.

Hige, with his potent sense of smell, sniffed the air. "The scent is faint," he informed, "but it's definitely a lunar flower."

The wolves continued on knowing that Kiba and Tsuki would be inside. Their scents were still fresh and they led a clear, straight trail. Each had the urge to go faster—except for Hige—but they all needed to slow down after that storm. They'd catch up to Kiba and Tsuki eventually.

Tsume suddenly stopped in his tracks. "What the…" Everyone else stopped as well. There was a car up ahead. That only meant one thing. "He's got visitors."

For a moment, Blue only saw a car, something she and Pops saw often when they were hunting wolves together, but then she caught the scent. The she-wolf ran off a blink of an eye.

"Hey, hold on!" Hige shouted.

Blue stopped at the car's windows. No one was inside. Then she smelled the foot of the car. Pops's scent was fresh. "Pops is here."

"Blue, what is it?" Hige inquired once he caught up to her. "What's gotten into you?" Instead of answering him, Blue ran inside Darcia's Keep. Hige stared at her in concern. What was wrong with her?

"Come on!" Toboe shouted. He and Tsume ran past him, which finally broke Hige out of his trance, and he ran after them.

Halfway through a corridor, Blue reduced her running to speed walking. It took a while for the others to finally catch up to her.

"Why the hell are you in such a rush?" Hige asked again.

"It's Pops," she finally answered, but the determination in her eyes didn't fade as the others approached her. "I know he's here."

"But do you really… wanna see him?—that Pops guy?" Toboe asked hesitantly. Blue suddenly stopped in place and looked at him. The pup gulped silently. He knew that that hunter was very important to Blue, even though she left him. But the only reason she left was to start over and begin a new life as a wolf. Seeing him again might make her change her mind. Even though Toboe wasn't fond of her at first, he still didn't like the idea of Blue suddenly leaving them. Not like how Kiba and Tsuki did.

Looking away from him sadly, Blue sighed. "No… It might be better if I didn't." Her answer didn't sound sincere.

"But maybe the reason he's out here… is to find you."

Blue's eyes became even sadder. If that was the case, then running away from Pops suddenly seemed pointless. Hige saw this and frowned. He didn't want her to leave, either, but if it made her happy…

"So what if he is?" Tsume baritone voice suddenly said. Everyone looked at the older wolf in astonishment—Toboe and Hige held glares. He spoke as if he didn't care. "Are you going to go back to being that human's dog?"

"Hey, lay off!" said Hige.

"Yeah, Tsume. Be quiet!" Toboe added. "You don't know what it's like!" He wasn't surprised that Tsume was acting so insensitive, but he could be a little more lenient about the situation.

"Guess I don't," he said with a simple smirk. "Unlike the two of you, I've never had the pleasure of being kept as a pet."

"You don't need to say it like that. You forget that Tsuki is in the exact situation as Blue. The only reason she left was to find Tora."

Tsume glared at the pup. Although he was a bit impressed by the gutsy way he talked back to him, he was still extremely pissed about Tsuki's departure with their unpredictably impulsive leader, and it wasn't necessary for Toboe to bring that up. Who knew what was happening to her right now?

"Now, now," Hige suddenly interjected. He knew just fighting about Blue's decision, or anything for that matter, wouldn't solve anything. And they still had to look for Kiba, Tsuki, and Cheza, so fighting was just going to hold them back from their main mission. "Let's find the others. We can fight later."

Tsume and Toboe glared at each other once more before silently agreeing.

As the group continued onward, Cheza's scent grew stronger. "The flower scent's coming from over here."

A scream suddenly broke out. It was like a siren, sweet and shrill. "That sounds like Cheza," Tsume said.

But Toboe recognized something in the scream. There was a bit of a howl in it. And it sounded much different from Cheza's screams. "No, it's Tsuki!"

Then a bullet sounded off. "Sounds like that hunter got to them first," Tsume growled.

The pup suddenly began to run ahead of his friends. "Toboe, wait!"

But Toboe wouldn't listen. He only continued to go in the direction of Tsuki's distraught voice. He needed to get to Tsuki before it was too late.

_I'm coming, Tsuki._

* * *

><p>Everything was silent. In her mind, everything was out of order, chaotic. What she could remember was mixed with what she thought she remembered. And the only thing that seemed to calm her down and prevent her from going into a mental breakdown was the sweet sound of Hamona's voice. Hearing the young woman speak was like magic. Her voice did the work of miracles. It stopped the violence, the turbulence, her confusion.<p>

_I remember…_

Her mind was straight again. And suddenly, after hearing her, the memories the pup lost long ago began to flood back into her mind.

_I remember everything…_

"Hamona." Darcia dropped his sword when he saw his true love moving—she was actually awake! It made him forget his anger, his sadness, the frustration he had been going through ever since she entered into that coma with Paradise sickness. Hamona was alive, awake, and Darcia couldn't have been happier.

The young woman looked up at the Nobleman. Her eyes widened seeing her lover for the first time in months. They began filling up with tears of joy. "Darcia."

"Hamona," the Nobleman said again as he embraced his lover.

For the first time in his life, Tora saw his brother cry.

"You're finally awake."

"Someone… Somebody helped me."

"Who?"

"A wolf… by the name of… Lupa."

"Lupa?" Darcia looked away from his beloved and glanced at the lavender-gray wolf that Kiba was standing next to. "That's…"

"Tsuki, get up." Kiba nudged her shoulder with his maw. "Tsuki, please get up."

Cheza soon joined them and rubbed her shoulder. The pup began to stir as soon as she felt the soothing sensation of the Flower Maiden's touch surge through her body. It took a while, but Tsuki was finally able to make it to her knees. Her hand went over her eyes. Tora joined them on the floor when he saw that Tsuki was recovering. "Tsuki, are you alright?"

"I… I think so." When she removed her hands, everyone gawked.

"Tsuki, your eyes..."

"What about them?"

"Lupa?"

Tsuki whipped her head around to the metallic bed. When she saw the woman next to Darcia, her eyes dilated in recognizance. A smile grew on her lips. "Milady Hamona." The gray wolf pup ran up to the young bare woman. The lovely woman ran her hand through her soft, lavender fur. She laid her head in her lap in comfort.

"Thank you, Lupa."

Kiba stared at her in disbelief. "What the…"

Suddenly, a shot sounded and a bullet flew past Kiba. He growled at the assailant and found the hunter who had been chasing him and his pack for miles. When Tsuki saw the threat, she stood in front of Hamona and Darcia in defense. Then the scientist woman and a man who looked similar to a cop ran up behind him. They were obviously surprised by the scene before them.

"It's over, wolf," the alcoholic-scented man muttered.

The white wolf stood in front of Cheza and Tora protectively. "Tora, take Cheza and Tsuki and go," he growled.

"Kiba, don't be stupid," Tora scolded.

"This one is not leaving," Cheza said. "This one is staying with Kiba."

Kiba looked back up at the hunter with a menacing stare and snarled. The hunter focused his aim and cocked his gun.

"No don't!" A black blur sped in front of the gun. A bluish-black wolf blocked the view of the gun.

Quent pulled back the gun in astonishment. "Blue."

Suddenly, three more wolves entered the room. "Kiba! Tsuki!" Toboe shouted.

When she heard the familiar voice, Tsuki turned back to her human form and her eyes dilated further. "Toboe…"

Seeing as trouble was about to begin, Tora went to Neze, who was standing in the corner of the room the whole time. The glove in her hand began to glow. "Neze, what's going on? What do you see?"

"I see Jaguara's ships."

Tora's eyes widened. "She's come back? Oh no…"

All of a sudden, everything turned to chaos. Lasers blasted through the ceiling and began slicing up the room. Kiba ran to Cheza in an attempt to protect her, but he was quickly blocked by a blast. He ended up by the entrance where his friends were. The blasts became worse, causing the floor to shift into separate platforms. Cheza was on the one just above them. Darcia took off his coat and covered up Hamona in order to protect her from the blasts. Cher and Hubb retrieved the Flower Maiden and quickly fled. Quent was in the same spot staring at his beloved friend. Tsume, Toboe, and Hige stood about helplessly.

"Cheza!"

"Blue!"

"Tsuki!"

Among all the noise and confusion, Tsuki couldn't concentrate. She was still shaken by the feelings she had when she heard Toboe's voice and the feelings she had when she heard Hamona's. It was like she was mixed between two different lives, switching from one person to the other.

"Tsuki!"

"Tsuki, where are you!"

She didn't know what to do. There too many voices, too many emotions going through her mind. She couldn't take it anymore; the young wolf collapsed.

"_Tsuki…!_"

Tora soon found the wolf pup unconscious on the floor of the collapsing chamber. He carefully picked up the girl before running to the pack. When Toboe saw the Nobleman carrying her, he stifled a sigh. Everything wasn't fine yet. They still needed to find a way out of Darcia's Keep before they were all blown to oblivion.

"Take her," he said to Tsume. The gray wolf gently took her into his arms. "Get out of here while you still can. There's something I need to take care of." Tora changed back into his wolf form and disappeared in a flash.

"You heard him!" Hige said. "We need to get out of here!"

"No," Kiba said. "I'm not leaving yet." He quickly ran off after the Nobleman.

"Kiba!" Hige cried out.

"What are you doing?" Tsume hollered. "Kiba!"

"Forget it. He's not going to listen. He came all the way here to get Cheza and he's not going to quit until he's got her."

"For the time being, let's just find somewhere safe to go," Toboe suggested.

The idea wasn't simple, but it was the only thing the wolves could do at the moment. The pack quickly fled Darcia's Keep, worrying about their terribly desperate leader and the Flower Maiden.

…

With his lover in his arms, Darcia stood audaciously in front of his Keep. In the air above, more Jaguara's ships came towards them. "Curse her… She still won't give up even though she knows…"

"Darcia, what are we going to do? Jaguara isn't going to quit until I'm dead."

The Nobleman gazed upon the woman with loving eyes. "Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you, my love." Hamona smiled and securely put her arms around his neck.

"Darcia!" Tora approached his brother. "I'm glad to see you two are alright."

"Tora, what happened to Lupa? Is she alright?"

The younger Darcia smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, Hamona. She's in good hands."

"Where are we to go?"

"Far away from here," Darcia answered. "I'm not letting that woman anywhere near you." He turned to his younger brother. "Are you certain you want to come with us, Tora? I know you have an attachment with that wolf."

"My loyalties lie with you, Darcia. She wouldn't have been safe if she came with me. She's better off with her own kind."

The two brothers stood and watched as a light came over and enveloped everything over the land.

…

The wolves stood amongst the pile of rubble that was Darcia's Keep. When the light had disappeared, the wolves found themselves in this deserted land. Cheza, Blue, the humans and the ships that were in the sky were now gone, along with their leader. No one knew what happened. And as they stood helplessly in the middle of the catastrophe, Toboe desperately called out for the white wolf in the hopes that he will show up. But his calls were merely empty howls in the wind.

"Kiba!"

Hige and Tsume stared at him pitifully. They didn't have the heart to stop the pup. They were all tired and in need for a sign of hope. Tsume looked away from the pup for a moment and appointed his gaze to the girl in his arms. Even though Kiba was still missing, he was glad to have his sister safe and sound in his arms.

Tsuki began to stir. Her eyes opened only slightly. "I remember…" she mumbled hoarsely. "I remember everything, big brother…"

Tsume smiled. "I'm glad. I missed you, Tsuki."

"I missed you, too…" It wasn't long until she fell back into unconsciousness.

When he was sure she was asleep, Tsume kissed her forehead and held her closer. His sister was finally back.

* * *

><p><strong>I know a lot of you have been waiting for you, so I'd just like to say… I'M SO, SO, SO, SO, SO, SO, <em>SO<em> SORRY!**

_**R&R!**_


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter X**

_When she woke up, Tsuki once again found herself to be confused. She had no idea where she was and she was tired of being in the same predicament. "Can't I just get a break?"_

_She looked around to see that she in the middle of nowhere. All around was barren, dry, cracked land from lack of water. Dust flew by due to the erosion of the land and the air was thick from the lack of vegetation. There were no familiar scents, just arid nothingness. She continued forward until she saw something green in the distance. She ran until she saw a giant, leafy bush of grass. It was the strangest plant she ever saw. It emitted a scent that made her nauseous; it was disgusting, almost poisonous to her nose. She didn't want to get anywhere near it, until she saw something that made her frozen stiff._

_Next to the plant, she saw… herself. It was like looking in a mirror, except her clone was wearing a white summer dress that flowed nicely in the breeze, her sleek white hair flowed down over her shoulders, and her eyes were wholly red like the Flower Maiden's. At first, Tsuki thought it was a mirage in the heat of this barren desert, so to make sure it wasn't real, the girl went forward. When she took the first step, she felt something wet. The dry ground was now covered in water. What was once a vast desert was now a vast ocean that only went up to her ankles. Her clone stood unaffected by the change of scenery._

"_Who are you?"_

"_I'm your counterpart—the part of you that you lost in Paradise when Tora revived you. I am Lupa."_

"_Lupa? That's what that woman called me—er, us." The girl nodded. "But I have my memories back. Why are _you _here?"_

"_Because you're still confused."_

_Tsuki couldn't deny that even if she wouldn't admit it. She was still confused about what was going on now and she was starting to think she would never be able to get her life back together because of all this befuddlement. She needed closure; she needed to know how to fix this and the only she could find a solution was to find answers. "So why am I here?—I mean why are _we_ here? If you're a part of me, then why am I—we—still confused?"_

"_Because _you_ are still not sure of yourself."_

"_What does that mean?"_

"_You're trapping yourself; in other words, you're trapping me, your other half, your most precious memories, everything that makes you complete. Now that you finally remember who and what you were, and you are aware of who and what you are, your purpose in life is still unclear—whether you are meant to serve the Nobles or go with your pack is uncertain to you._

"_You've been given a second chance, Tsuki. Tora gave you that chance when he saved you and replenished your body. It's your choice, Tsuki. We can either join your friends in their search for Paradise, join together with big brother, or we can find Tora, the one man who gave you the chance to change your own life for yourself and for the betterment of wolfkind."_

"_Paradise," spat Tsuki. "I don't want to go back there. But I don't want to leave Tsume and the others, either."_

_Her red-eyed clone smiled. "It's your choice…"_

_The girl slowly faded away. And as the water disappeared, she began to black out._

-X-

As time passed, snow began to ascend down onto the dreary land once again, gentler than it had before. The wolves had tread far from Darcia's decrepit Keep as they tried to find their way out of the frozen wasteland. Tsume had carried Tsuki on his back as the pack slowly treaded with slumped backs. They were, to say in the least, depressed. Their leader was missing, the Flower Maiden was taken away by Jaguara's men, and they had no idea where they were going. The only thing they could think to do was sit around and wait for a solution to come.

Tsume stood with his hands in his pockets as he watched his sister breathe. She hadn't woken up since their departure from Darcia's Keep. She was only asleep but that didn't stop him from worrying. When she finally began to stir, he went to her side and shook her shoulder. "Tsuki, wake up."

When she opened her eyes, Tsuki saw the gray wolf hovering over her. "Tsume?"

"Hey, kid. You okay?"

Tsuki felt her forehead. "I feel a little lightheaded, but yeah, I'm okay." Tsume helped her sit up.

When Toboe saw that his friend was awake, he ran over and hugged her. "Tsuki, you're okay!" She was taken aback by his sudden embrace but she gratefully returned the gesture. Tsume did his best to hide his frustration and jealousy.

"What happened?" she asked when she was released. "Where's Kiba and Blue?" She heard the third wolf grumble in the background.

"They're gone," Toboe replied sadly. "There was a light, and then they were suddenly gone. All the other humans and Tora also disappeared…" Toboe stopped when he caught a whiff of something and began to sniff the air.

"What is it?" Tsume asked.

"I'm not sure, but it's a familiar scent."

"A scent?"

Toboe ran to the precipice of ice and found a body lying in the ditch. It was out cold. Everyone ran over to see what he found. "It's that hunter again," Tsume growled. Tsume hugged his arm when she saw the body. The man looked practically dead but she couldn't detect a hint of death on him, only liquor. It was amazing he was able to survive in this condition.

"His body's almost frozen," Toboe said in astonishment.

"Just leave him," Hige muttered indifferently. "It's what he deserves."

"How could you say that knowing how important he is to Blue? If we don't do something, he's going to die." The hungry wolf looked away begrudgingly. "We couldn't do anything to save Blue, either, remember?"

Finally fed up, Hige grabbed the unsuspecting pup and slugged him.

"Toboe!" Tsuki let go of her brother and went to Toboe. She glared at Hige. "Why'd you do that?"

Tsume pulled Hige back before he could take another swing at Toboe. "Would you stop it! Don't take it out on him."

When he pulled his face from the ground, Toboe held his wounded cheek. Tsuki gave him a concerned look. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he murmured stoically. He looked at Hige with a passive stare.

Hige grunted and looked away. "We're looking for Kiba, right?" he said. "Then let's go." He began walking away from the others not bothering to see if they were following.

Tsume looked back at the other two. "Toboe, Tsuki, let's go."

"Why don't you go on ahead?" Toboe suggested. "I'll catch up, okay?"

"Don't come crying to me when he wakes up and shoots you," Hige said carelessly.

Tsuki frowned at him. Even though his statement was blatantly apathetic, she had to agree with him. She wasn't sure if it was okay to let Toboe stay with the hunter alone. If he woke up, who knew what he would do once he saw the wolf pup? "I'll be okay, Tsuki," Toboe said. "You should go ahead with them."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

Tsume didn't move, either. He didn't show it, but Tsuki could tell he was also concerned about Toboe. "Hey."

"Just go on," Toboe said stubbornly.

"Don't get too involved," he warned. "He's a human after all." He nudged Tsuki's arm so she would follow him. She looked back at the brown wolf with concern. He gave her a reassuring smile before going towards the hunter and lying by his side.

Tsuki smiled back at the brown wolf. Toboe was growing braver, she noticed, and a little more grown-up. But she also feared what Tsume thought. What if Toboe _did_ start to get too attached to that hunter? He was the type to grow attached to people very easily. He would only get hurt in the end if he didn't learn.

"Tsuki." The young girl turned back to her older brother. "How are you feeling now?"

"I'm alright," she said.

A moment of silence passed between the siblings until Tsume spoke. "You know you're going to have to tell me what happened eventually, right?"

Tsuki cringed. "What are you talking about?" she asked hesitantly.

Tsume glared at her. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, Tsuki. The accident…"

Tsuki frowned. "We're going to lose Hige if we don't catch up." She began walking ahead of her brother.

Tsume also frowned. He knew Tsuki knew she couldn't avoid confrontation for long, but he wasn't going to force her to tell him something that made her uncomfortable. He just got her back; he wasn't going to lose his little sister again by doing something careless. For the time being, he would wait for the right moment to ask her again, and hopefully she would comply without any trouble.

It wasn't long until the pack finally made it out of the tundra and into a desert-like plain. They were surrounded by giant rock formations. It was hot, but the weather was nice compared the freezing wasteland they'd just left. It also gave Tsuki a haunting feeling; she couldn't put her finger on it, but this place looked too familiar to her.

Despite the change in weather, Hige still didn't grow a better attitude about their predicament. "You know," he said, "the fact of the matter is it's useless to keep looking." Ironic, Tsuki thought, since continuing on without Toboe to search for their missing leader was his idea in the first place. "I mean, do we go back and search around the fallen Keep again, or go past those huge mountains and look for him there? Either way, we still don't know if he's alive," he stated gravely.

"I had no idea you were so worried about that Blue chick," Tsume suddenly mentioned.

Hige was caught off guard by that abrupt remark. "Hey! What do you mean? I haven't said a word about her!"

"It's because you haven't said anything," he explained. "That proves you're worried.

"It's not like that," Hige mumbled stubbornly.

Tsuki, who had been listening to their conversation silently, was watching Hige when Tsume suddenly mentioned Blue. She had no idea he was involved with the navy blue wolf, and Blue never mentioned anything about Hige, either. And contrary to what he said, Tsuki also believed that he was concerned about her. His feelings for Blue explained why he was so suddenly mad at Toboe—she was still irate about that. Now that she thought about it, she was also growing concerned for Blue. She hadn't seen the wolf since the incident at Darcia's Keep. She wondered if she was in the same place as Kiba, or Cheza and those other humans.

Suddenly, the pup noticed the older two stopped in place. When she heard the whistling coming from above, she looked to the sky and saw a fleet of Nobleman aircrafts. Tsume pushed her behind him protectively as they hid away under the shade of the rocks.

"Those are the same guys who brought down Darcia's Keep," he growled. "Whichever Noble they work for, they're too strong for us to fight." Tsuki knew those ships. They belonged to—

"It's Jaguara," Hige said, finishing her thoughts.

"Jaguara?"

"They must be hers. She's the ruling Noble to the South."

Tsume and Tsuki looked at the hungry wolf intriguingly. "How do you know that?" Tsuki asked curiously. Not many people knew about Jaguara since she did everything so clandestine, so how did a wolf like Hige know about something like that?

"I just heard the name, is all," he replied without removing his gaze from the sky.

"Jaguara," Tsume echoed bitterly. "That's what that human said in the last town. He made it sound like she was collecting wolves." His eyes narrowed until they were glaring at the Nobleman crafts. "Why the hell would she want to do that?" Tsuki stood behind him quietly, pondering on his question.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a familiar howl gave out. "That's Toboe!" she cried. He sounded like he was in trouble. She ran off to the sound of the yowling before the two other wolves could react.

When she found him, he saw that the vulnerable wolf pup was surrounded by two tan men on horses. Someone had told her about these people—Native Americans, they were called. Unlike many humans they'd encountered, these people lived and depended on nature instead of sophisticated technology. She always thought they were a peaceful people and admired them for being so crafty. But she didn't understand why they were attacking Toboe.

When she saw the bow and arrow pointed at Toboe, she ran in front of him and spread her arms out in defense. "Stop!" The man withdrew his arrow a bit in confusion, but then he pointed the arrow at Tsuki. Before he could hit her, a gray wolf with a scar on his chest attacked the man on the horse and held him down. Hige did the same with the other man.

When Toboe saw that he was no longer in danger, he sighed in relief. Tsuki knelt next to him and they hugged each other.

"Are you one of Jaguara's flunkies?" Tsume demanded. "Why is she after us? What the hell does she want!"

However, the man held under the grip of Tsume's knife gave him a perplexed look. "Jaguara?"

"She's capturing wolves and I want to know why!"

All of a sudden, the man began laughing. The wolves stared at him, completely confused.

"What's the deal?" Toboe asked. "Why are you laughing at us?"

"If you're wolves, you should've just said so in the first place." He sighed in exasperation. "That's just great. The elder's gonna have my hide for this."

After everyone realized this was a misunderstanding, the man, whose name was later revealed to be Iyek, offered to take them back to his village. Apparently, Iyek's men were attacked the other day by some strangers and they were watching out for them ever since. But Iyek's people, the Hmong tribe, meant no harm to wolves. Tsuki was beginning to like these people more and more each second she was with them.

As soon as they were in the village, Toboe and Tsuki were instantly fascinated. There were many strange cone structures (Tsuki remembered they were called teepees) that people were coming in and out of. All around everyone was happy, enjoying their domestically nomadic lifestyle. It was probably the most positive place they'd been to thus far, with everything that has happened to them. It was nice to see people smiling for a change.

Toboe showed the most eagerness and captivation. The others assumed it was because he used to live among humans, but the pup never saw anything like this. Back then, it was just him and Granny. They were alone; they didn't have other people to depend on like the Hmong tribe. Not only that, but these people were also passionate about other living things. They treated everything with respect and compassion.

The group suddenly stopped in front of two girls tending a sick dog and jumped off his horse to join them. Tsuki noticed there was something green on his back, mostly likely some healing herbs. Iyek talked to the girls for a bit and they responded by laughing and ran off to play. Tsuki smiled at this.

"Is he one of your friends who was attacked?" Tsume asked curiously.

Iyek nodded. "I don't know if they were poachers or what. They just hurt the dogs and left. This one kept fighting off until the very end."

"We know who might've done this; that old human—"

"But he couldn't have!" Toboe denied. "That guy was half frozen! Besides, he knows the difference between a wolf and a dog."

"How come you're trying so hard to protect that geezer?" Hige asked angrily.

Toboe hesitated a moment before answering. "He was talking," he murmured, "in his sleep. He said, 'Blue, I'm so sorry.'" Tsuki looked at the pup sadly. It must've been tear-jerking to hear that from a senile old drunk. She almost felt sorry for the old man, and almost empathetic.

"Maybe," Hige said, "if they mistook the dogs for wolves…"

"Jaguara, then?" Tsume said.

"She may be killing anything she can get her hands on, even if it only looks like a wolf."

Tsume turned back to Iyek. "You mentioned earlier about believing in wolves. What exactly did you mean by that?"

"What did I _mean_? I meant what I said. Wolves are the ancestors of every human being, except for the Nobles, of course."

Suddenly, an elderly man approached the group. His face was wrinkled with age and deep wisdom. Tsuki could feel something spiritual about this man. "Iyek," he croaked.

"Yes, Elder."

"Bring along our guests."

* * *

><p>Later that night, the elder began to relate the origin of wolves:<p>

"Long ago, back when Man was still an animal, there were evil monsters that ravaged this earth. Mother Earth opened the gates to Paradise and set the wolves upon the land. The wolves fought bravely against the evil and vanquished the monsters. To the ignorant man-beasts that remained, they taught them many things, and from part of their own bodies, the wolves created Humanity.

"This tale has been passed down in our tribe since ancient times."

"You mean humans were created from wolves?" asked Toboe.

"Yes, little one," the elder replied. "Back when the world was young, as you are. When the wolves seek out Paradise, this world will come to an end. Or perhaps the world will end because of their search as they make their way home. It is unclear which will happen first. Regardless, when the wolves find it, everything in this world will cease to be.

"Who first began this search?" he suddenly questioned. He looked at Toboe, who was closest to his right. "Was it you?"

"Was it my idea?" Toboe reiterated. "No, sir."

"Was it you?" he said, looking over at Hige.

"Not likely," Hige immediately denied.

Then the Elder looked across at the two siblings. "You then?" he said as he looked straight at Tsume. The gray wolf stared stoically at the old man, not bothering to input an answer. "No? Then how about you, little one?" Tsuki shook her head, following her brother's example.

"So we shouldn't be trying to find Paradise?" Toboe asked dubiously. "I mean, if the world ends, what will happen to everyone?"

"As to that, no one can be certain." The Elder then looked up. "No matter where nature goes, our path is to follow."

Tsuki followed his gaze and looked upward. She assumed he was looking towards the sky up at the moon. She could feel the spiritual energy flowing in the room; maybe this was the Elder's doing. The Elder, she assumed, was probably more in tune with nature and beyond since he was the oldest and wisest member of the tribe. And after hearing his ancient tale, she realized these people were more similar to wolves than she thought. Maybe he'd be able to answer some of her questions.

When all the other wolves were gone, Tsuki went back into the Elder's teepee. "Yes, my child?"

"You were expecting me?"

"You are not like the other wolves."

"Is it… that obvious?"

The Elder smiled at her. "I could sense it as soon as you entered our village. You are probably wondering why all is."

Tsuki nodded shyly. "Everything's been so topsy-turvy lately now that I have my memories back. Yet, now that I have them, nothing's still the same. I thought everything would be as it was before my… accident, but I feel more distant from my brother and even more like an alien. I'm too different."

The Elder nodded and considered her words carefully. "It seems you don't realize your transformation is a blessing in disguise."

"What do you mean?"

"You now hold the blood of both the wolf and the lunar flower. Your power is much stronger and omnificent while at the same time vulnerable and innocent. You create balance between this world and Paradise. That is why your friends cannot go there without you."

"My friends can't…" Tsuki stopped to try and comprehend this new insight. "So… does that mean… _I'm_ the key to Paradise?"

The Elder shook his head. "Since you are the only wolf to ever go to Paradise and come back, you have a closer connection with the Flower Maiden. But there is only one wolf that can open the doors to Paradise." And he left it at that.

Once she left the teepee, she found Toboe standing outside the entrance. "Hey. What were you and the Elder talking about?" he asked.

"Oh, um, I just wanted to ask him a question," Tsuki answered quickly. "Where are the others?"

Toboe shrugged. "I stayed here to wait for you." Tsuki blushed at the nice sediment. Toboe did so, but he looked away so she wouldn't see. "So, um, do you… do you want to… take a walk?" Tsuki nodded before taking his hand.

The pups began to walk through the village. Only a few people were still out; the rest were inside their teepees either asleep or spending time with their families. The dogs that were out approached the wolves and they ran about to play for a bit. When they got tired, the dogs snuggled next to each other. Toboe and Tsuki changed back to their human forms before leaving their fellow canine friends.

They soon stopped to rest on a rock formation. They both lied back so their gaze was only on the moon. "It's beautiful," Tsuki said.

"Yeah," Toboe sighed out. "Tsuki, what do you think of the Hmong tribe?"

Tsuki turned her head. "I don't know. It's the nicest place we've come by so far."

"I thought so, too. Everyone here is so friendly, and they love wolves. We'd be completely safe here."

Now Tsuki was concerned. "What are you saying, Toboe?"

"Don't you think... staying here would be a lot better? We'd be taken care of. We wouldn't have worry about Darcia or anything! What do you think, Tsuki?"

Tsuki's mouth was open agape. She didn't know how to respond. The idea sounded euphoric, but she knew just as well he did that staying wouldn't solve all their problems. However, before she could give him her answer, a bay cried out. "Hey, you two!" The pups sat up to see Hige and Tsume. The gray wolf had a very irritated look on his face. "Where have you guys been?"

Toboe and Tsuki jumped down from the platform. "We were just talking a walk," Toboe answered.

"Well don't get too comfortable," Tsume said. "We're leaving first thing in the morning."

"Um, actually… I think… I wanna stay here."

Everyone looked at the pup in awe. Tsuki didn't want to believe him, but she knew he was serious. "You're gonna stay here, huh?" Tsume finally said, breaking the tension. "So does that mean you don't want to be with us anymore?" Toboe nodded in reply. "So does that mean you want to stay here?" This time Toboe made no response. When he saw the look in Tsuki's eyes, he tore his head away. Tsuki's hand fell from Toboe's. It hurt knowing the truth; if Toboe chose to stay, then the pack would be even more separated.

"There's something about this place, how Iyek's people live," Toboe finally said. "That's Paradise to me."

"Are you sure?" Tsume asked. Toboe bowed his head and frowned. "Toboe, is this what you want?" he asked more forcefully. Toboe only continued to say nothing. "Well, if that's really what you've decided then it's okay by me, kid. Take care of yourself." He turned away from the pack and began walking back to the village. Hige looked back at him sadly before following Tsume.

Tsuki, who grew still throughout the conversation, hugged her arms and began to shake. Toboe knew she was about to cry. "I didn't want it to end this way," she whimpered. "We were supposed to…"

Toboe hugged her. "I'm sorry, Tsuki. But you can always stay with me. We can live here in the village together."

The girl pulled away from him. Hot tears fell down her cheeks. "No I can't."

He stared at her, confused. "But… don't you also want this?"

"I do, Toboe—I mean I _did_, but... I can't…" She took a deep breath. She didn't want to leave Toboe, but she had no choice. She didn't want to lose her only family. She didn't expect Toboe to understand her predicament. He still didn't know she had recovered her memories; maybe it was fair if she told him the truth. "I can't leave the rest of the pack. I can't leave Tsume."

"Why not?"

"Because he's… he's my brother."

And with that, the gray wolf pup bounded off to join the other two, leaving Toboe standing in a tizzy.

* * *

><p>Tsuki didn't say goodbye to Toboe the next morning. After running off like that, she was too cowardly to face him. She just out and told him that Tsume was her older brother. No doubt he had his tail between his legs. And even though she wanted to go with her brother, she didn't need another reason to give herself doubts. She couldn't stay. It wouldn't have been right.<p>

Once they were ready, Iyek led them out to the desert until he couldn't follow them anymore. He didn't know what was beyond the canyons and his people never went past this area, but the wolves would find out for themselves once they moved on.

"Thank you for everything, Iyek," Tsuki said before she left with her brother and Hige.

"No problem." He looked back at the wolves that were waiting for her before saying quietly, "You know, you can always stay with us if you like. It's safer here and I know that you're very fond of that other kid. He looked sad when you left the village."

Tsuki smiled sadly at him. "I wish I could, but I can't leave my brother. Not again."

Iyek smiled at her sympathetically. "Alright. I understand. Have a safe journey."

When he turned his horse around, Tsuki turned as well and began towards her brother. When she reached him, she latched onto his arm. Hige saw this but neglected to say anything.

"You okay?" Tsume asked as they walked on. He didn't like the frown he saw on his sister's face.

"I'll be okay," she whispered hoarsely.

He looked forward as they continued to walk. "Since the day I met him, that kid's always wanted to be with humans," he said as a matter of fact. "The runt's always had a soft spot for them."

"I guess that was pretty obvious," Hige murmured.

Tsuki nodded in agreement. "But still… how could he just leave?" She knew why and she knew it was for all the reasons they just said. Toboe loved humans; everyone knew how easily attached he could get. But she didn't want him to sacrifice his own happiness just for her. If staying with the Hmong tribe made him happy, then she'd just have to get past that.

"Didn't you say you've given up on Paradise, too?" Tsume suddenly said to Hige. "Don't feel like you have to tag along with us."

Hige suddenly stopped in place. "You two would keep going, even if you had to do it alone?"

Tsume stopped walking as well. Tsuki looked up at her brother with the same perplexity as Hige. "I want to see it for myself. If wolves really do cause the world to end, then I wanna be there when it happens. Besides," he looked back at Hige with a smirk, "there's no way I'm giving up now. Not after spending time with that pig-headed jerk. So, I'm going to look for him." Tsuki rolled his eyes before walking ahead; even though he was her older brother, he was still a typical boy. Tsume chuckled and began following her again.

Hige smiled at him before running to catch up to them. "Hey Tsume, when'd you start talking like that? You sound like _him_."

The gray wolf said nothing as he looked up at his sister.

The wolves continued their journey until they reached the edge of a precipice. Now they were looking at a desolate, dry desert area.

"Man, talk about a wasteland!" Hige said.

Beyond that, the wolves spotted a bulging figure out beyond the desert. Tsuki figured it was probably what drove the Native Americans away. She couldn't see it very well from that distance, but she felt something very familiar about it. "Is that it?" Tsume said.

Something roaring and disruptive suddenly caught their attention. A black tank was trailing towards the bulge. Hige cried out, "It's those guys!"

Tsuki froze. They were the same people who attacked them at Darcia's Keep; they must've been the same people who also attacked Iyek's men. "How'd they find us?"

Tsume grabbed her hand and they all began running towards the tank. "The way they're coming," he panted out, "it's almost like they can track our moves before we make them!"

"Which means it's kinda pointless to run and hide!" Hige said

Tsuki said nothing as they ran on, but she slowly began to realize where they really were. She recognized this desert, and as they finally made their way to the bulge, she recognized that, too. It was giant leafy bush of grass from her dream. Those black knights were after something in it. They were Jaguara's men which only meant one thing: they were looking for a wolf.

"Kiba's in there!" she suddenly hollered.

"What?" Tsuki unlocked her hand from Tsume's tight grasp and ran ahead of them. "Tsuki, wait!"

The girl did not slow down. As soon as she came in contact with one of the knights, her inner wolf unleashed and she had him by the neck. He was instantly killed. Another knight with a strange-looking gun shot at her, but she quickly dodged it before the force hit her. Tsume, in his wolf form, jumped the knight before he could make another shot at the pup. The knight was strong enough to push him off and began shooting at the gray wolf. An arrow was suddenly shot into his neck and he was also down for the count. Iyek showed up on his horse with his bow at the ready and an anxious wolf at his side. However, before anymore damage could be done, the knights suddenly fell unconscious. The wolves stood about in awe.

Through all the trouble, Tsuki was able to sneak past the knights and get inside the grass. She found the gaunt white wolf inside. "Kiba!" She pushed away the grass with her paw as she crawled further inside. The stench of its poison wreaked her sensitive nose; it was as foul in reality as it was in her dream. However, she didn't fall as the knights did when she came near the plant.

When Toboe saw his friend go inside the plant, he stepped forward. "Tsuki!"

"Stay back!" Toboe drew back at Iyek's command. "Don't get any closer. The poison from that grass has paralyzed your friend."

"But, how come Tsuki isn't paralyzed?"

"She must be immune."

"But… But what if she ends up like Kiba? I mean, is he…"

"He's not dead!" Tsume exclaimed. "And she won't die, either!"

With a bit of struggle, the lavender-gray wolf was finally able to pull Kiba out of the grass. Iyek carefully pick him up and quickly set him on his horse's saddle. "Your friend's spirit has been taken," he told the wolves. "I'm sure the Elder can call it back."

"Maybe I can help," Tsuki offered. The wolves stared back at her, completely dumbfounded. Iyek didn't look so surprised. "I'm familiar with… the Spirit World."

Iyek nodded. "We must hurry." He mounted his horse and held onto Kiba as he galloped away. Tsuki quickly followed after. The wolves looked back at each other with uncertainty before following their comrades.

* * *

><p><em><strong>R&amp;R!<strong>_


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter XI**

_The land was fruitful and calm. Beasts of woodland nature prowled the area in peace, living their lives in safety. A wolf and a caracal sat side by side on a hilltop as they looked upon the glistening rainbow lake. The caracal leaned her head on the white wolf's shoulder and he submitted to the comfort. This was their Paradise and they were here to stay._

_Suddenly, a harsh gust of wind blew over them. Kiba shielded his eyes from the dirt and dust. A haunting mantra echoed through the wind, but the wolf couldn't understand what it was saying. But then, over the echoing mantra, a familiar voice called out to him:_

"Kiba…_"_

"_Stop it," a timid voice cried out next to him._

_Kiba looked over at the red-headed girl. "Why, Mew? What's wrong?"_

"_It looks like… she found you."_

"_What do you mean? Who found me?"_

_The girl refused to meet his puzzled blue eyes as her gentle lilac orbs widened in fear. "She's here."_

_An owl suddenly passed over head. Kiba ducked in time before its sharp talons reached his head. When he opened his eyes, he found himself standing alone in darkness. Mew stood in front of him inside their Paradise. Kiba looked at her more confused than ever._

"Kiba_." The familiar voice echoed behind him once again, and he turned to find a red-eyed maiden in white._

"_Tsuki." He backed away, remembering the menacing red eyes from a dream. However, these eyes were filled with compassion instead of hatred._

"In this world, I am called Lupa_."_

"_Lupa?"_

_She nodded. "_Kiba, it's time to go_." Lupa offered her hand out to him. "_It's time to return to your friends._"_

_The white wolf backed away from her. "I can't. Can't you see? This is Paradise. This is what we've been looking for."_

_Lupa shook her head sadly. "_Kiba, this isn't Paradise. Not the real Paradise_."_

"_What do you mean it's not the real Paradise?" Lupa pointed back to the Paradise Kiba spoke of. When he looked back, he saw the images of Paradise fading immensely slow, along with Mew. "Mew… what's going on?"_

_The caracal smiled at him sadly. "I wanted to be with you forever," Mew explained. "But now, I know you shouldn't stay." Her smile suddenly looked guiltier. "You were right from the beginning, Kiba. This place… It isn't Paradise at all. It's a world where time no longer exists. Eventually, you won't remember anything or even why you're here. You'll forget, just like I have._

"_But it's not too late for you, Kiba. Lupa's the only who's ever been able to escape from this curse. You need to return with her to your world so you can lead your friends to Paradise. They can't do it without you."_

_Kiba shook his head in desperation. At first, he was angry with Mew, but now… "Why are you doing this?" he asked no one in particular._

_Tears began to descend Mew's amending eyes. "Kiba, you have to go."_

_Lupa touched his shoulder. "Kiba."_

"_No wait!" He shrugged her grip off and stepped towards Mew. "Come with us!" Mew shook her head. "Mew…" His voice began to quiver._

"_You and I… We're more different than you realize." She turned away from him._

"_Mew…!" When he tried running after her, the turbulent winds returned and resisted him from reaching her. Mew and the timeless Paradise began to disappear._

"_Goodbye. Goodbye, Kiba…"_

_The white wolf stood awestricken when Mew and the timeless Paradise were gone. He felt something inside him stir, a wave of emotion tearing up inside him. He couldn't believe she was gone. Mew, the caracal, the one good thing that had ever happened to him since…_

Kiba…

_When he turned back around, he saw Lupa still standing there with her hand still offered to him. As he gazed upon her appearance, he couldn't help but notice how red her eyes were. They were like…_

Kiba… do you know who this one is… Kiba…

"Kiba_," she said. "It's time to go."_

_He reluctantly held back._

Remember… Kiba…

_Slowly, he reached out his hand and put it in her palm. As soon as they touched, Kiba felt a wave of cognizance wash over him until he fell into absolute darkness._

-X-

Incense filled the teepee as the Elder continued his chant. Tsuki knelt over the white wolf's frail form. With her eyes closed and her mind filled with concentration, she felt the essence of Kiba's soul returning to his body. When her eyes were open once again, she saw his blue eyes wondering over her until they met her red orbs.

"Ch… Lupa?"

She shook her head. "Tsuki."

Kiba's sunken eyes stared at her once more until they finally glinted with a bit of joy when he recognized his friend. Even though he was so weak he could barely move his limbs and his stomach was hollow, knowing that he was once again back to the world of the living made him relieved. And it was all thanks to her. Tears ebbed at the corners of his eyes. "Thank you, Tsuki."

She smiled in return as his hand met hers. "You're welcome, Kiba."

* * *

><p>Outside, the three other wolves waited as their fellow female member aided to heal Kiba. They were all worried, especially Tsume—not so much about Kiba, but he was still worried about him, too. He didn't know why they specifically needed Tsuki to help bring Kiba back, and he wondered what she meant when she said she was familiar with the Spirit World. What happened to her when they were separated?<p>

Meanwhile, Hige and Toboe sat about on a boulder as they anxiously wait to hear about Kiba. But the thought of Kiba's wolf carcass made them sick, so they decided to draw their minds to something else. They both watched Tsume as he steamed off next to them. They couldn't get over how close and overprotective he was of Tsuki even though Tsume was as cold as a rock.

Toboe already figured what was wrong and decided to confront him knowing it was only a matter of time before Tsume told them the truth. "Um, Tsume, you seem… pretty close to Tsuki," he said as casually as possible.

"So what?" he said with a glare.

"Well, I was just wondering… is there anything going on between you two?"

"Yeah, what's with this overbearing big brother thing you got going on?" Hige asked. "Do you like Tsuki or something because I'm pretty sure she's too young for you and Toboe already called dibs."

"Shut up, porky! It's nothing like that," Tsume growled.

"Then what is it?"

The gray wolf remained silent for a moment before he cursed under his breath. "Tsuki is my sister."

At first, the brown wolf just sat there for a while, but when the information finally came through, Hige flipped out. "Your _sister_!?"

Toboe sat there and said nothing. Tsuki had already told him that Tsume was her older brother so he didn't give off much of a reaction. Tsume noticed this and narrowed his gaze at him. "You don't seem so surprised."

Toboe laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head. "Well th-that's because Tsuki kinda already told me…"

"Wait, you knew all along?" Hige asked. He was a little peeved that the pup was the one in the know and he wasn't for once.

"Yeah," he replied sheepishly. "She told me that she had no memory of her life before she met Tora. I promised I would keep it a secret, but I guess there's really no point now…" Toboe looked at Tsume who was still giving him a mean look.

"This does explain a lot on your part, Tsume," Hige said. "Why you've been acting so weird around Tsuki, and why you get all mad whenever Toboe's around her. It was an overprotective big brother thing. And her losing her memories also explains why Tsuki didn't seem to regard you as her older brother until after the incident at Darcia's Keep."

"So it's true," Toboe said. "I mean, you're really her…"

Tsume sighed exasperatedly. "This is exactly why I didn't want to tell you before," he grumbled. He wanted to avoid this conversation for as long as possible. Tsume wasn't much for sharing his feelings or reminiscing his past. However, he knew these two wouldn't get off his back until he told them, so he decided to tell them everything.

But he wouldn't care what they thought. Tsuki was his sister and he loved her. Back then, he did everything he could to keep her safe, and it still wasn't enough. Even when she was a vulnerable little pup, he felt this sense of brotherly responsibility, and Tsume was very uncomfortable around children. After all, it was the pack's job to protect the young, but Tsuki was different. From the moment she was born everyone in their pack knew there was something special about her, but Tsume felt it more. He was her older brother, after all.

-X-

_In the forest of evergreens and birches, a gray wolf lay under the trees, away from his pack. He was one of the providers for the pack, a hunter who was well-known among all the wolves. He was also one the strongest and roughest wolves in the pack and because of his notorious reputation, most of the pack avoided him. They respected him for it, so that meant they respected his privacy. He liked it that way. Being alone in the forest was the only time he had to himself away from the pesky pups and the disapproving glances from the elders._

_However, the time to himself was short lived when he heard a rustle in the bushes. Standing from his position, Tsume growled at the thicket. It was most likely a rabbit or a squirrel, but he couldn't be too careful. But when he saw a ball of grayish-white fur roll out of the thicket, he knew it wasn't a threat or a meal._

_The pup shook its head as it got up from the ground and turned to Tsume. He tilted his head to the side and she mimicked the action. He recognized the pup. She was recently born from his mother's new litter. Unfortunately she was the only pup who survived because their mother was so sick. Since their mother's death, his new little sister was put in the care of one of the female patrons. He only saw her once since that day, so seeing her here in the middle of the forest was suspicious and strange. He wondered if anyone knew she was missing. Someone had to be watching over her, and he definitely didn't want to do it._

_The pup didn't seem scared of him. She must've heard those rumors about him, but she was still just a pup; she wouldn't have known better. If that wasn't it, then she must've recognized his scent even from that one day when he went to see this little miracle. Being that she was the one to survive, there had to be something special about her. Everyone thought it was because of the birthmark on her forehead. The distinctive shape made everyone believe she was blessed by the moon, which was why she was named after it. Tsume scoffed; he didn't believe in such nonsense._

_Tsume barked at her once, but she didn't stir. She merely squeaked in reply and bounded towards him. Seeing that she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, the gray wolf decided to ignore her and go back to his nap._

_When he lay down and closed his eyes, he felt something flicking at his tail. He looked over and saw her playing with it. He nearly laughed as she pounced at his tail and missed when it flicked to the side. He decided to amuse her and lay back down as he flipped his tail to and fro. His droopy eyes barely had time to close when a second later he then felt something rub up against his side. He looked over and saw the pup trying to get comfortable and join him in slumber. He would've pushed her away, but the little form settling next to him felt… nice. Having a pup—well, his little sister—by his side actually felt natural._

_It had to be his brotherly instincts, but as this pup lay next to him, Tsume wanted nothing more than to protect her. He would not allow any harm to come to his Tsuki._

-X-

"Aw, who knew Tsume was such a softy?"

"Shut up, porky."

"Sounds like you guys had a good life." Tsume nearly grunted in reply. "Come on. Are you so arrogant that you won't admit you're just as pampered as Toboe?"

"Hey!" the pup cried.

"We weren't pampered," Tsume said. "As the Nobles began taking over, food became scarce and it eventually became first come first serve when it came to the hunt. Tsuki and I basically had to fend for ourselves. Since she was without a mother or a father figure, she started relying on me, and I did everything I could to protect her. She was the only thing that made me stay."

"So _did_ you eventually leave?"

"I had no choice," the gray wolf growled. "I was exiled."

-X-

_Smoke filled the air and spread throughout the forest. Most of the animals already evacuated from their homes, which were now reduced to cinders and ash. A pair of wolves ran along the dusty trail so fast they were practically blurs. Once he thought they were safe, the older gray one stopped them and hid the younger one behind a tree._

"_Stay here," he said._

"_Where are you going?"_

"_I'm leading them away."_

"_But they'll kill you!"_

"_No one can take me on, Tsuki." He nuzzled her in reassurance. "I'll come find you once I've led them away from our trail. Don't move."_

"_But Tsume—!"_

_He growled under his breath not wanting to discuss it any further. Tsuki reluctantly complied and hid behind the tree._

_Before he ran off, he took a branch covered in ashes and began running it along the trail. He was sure the soot in the air and on the ground would cover up Tsuki's scent, but he took these desperate measures as an extra precaution. And just in time, a few members of the pack, including the alpha, were coming up the trail._

_Tsume wasn't paying attention to where he was going. He only knew that he had to keep them away from Tsuki; she had to stay safe. That was the only reason they ran. Once the fire came, they couldn't stay. Tsume led Tsuki away while the rest of the pack fended for themselves. Now he had to keep on running to protect her._

_Unfortunately, since he was so busy trying to keep them on his tail he didn't realize until it was too late that he had led them to a dead end on top of a cliff. There was nowhere else for him to go._

_Tsume backed away as they came closer. He could easily escape by jumping, depending on what he landed on. But he couldn't turn away to see. Once he lost focus, they would attack him, but he wasn't going down without a fight._

_However, the alpha didn't bother to wait as he lunged at the trapped wolf and marred his chest. The pain in his chest was so blinding, Tsume couldn't feel a thing. The last thing he heard before falling into darkness was a short bay in the distance calling out to him._

"_Tsume!"_

-X-

"After getting my scar, Tsuki eventually found me. We were on our own from then on. With the forest destroyed, we were reduced to desperate measures and found the nearest city. That was the first time we turned into our human forms. It was the only way we could blend in order to find food and shelter. We didn't have money so we had to steal our way around."

"Whoa," Hige said. "You guys must've been really close after going through all of that."

"But how did you two get separated?" Toboe asked. "And how did she forget about you?"

"It must've had something to do with…" Tsume stopped in midsentence. He didn't feel like reminiscing the day she ran away. That day would forever be a reminder of what a terrible brother he was.

-X-

"_Big brother!"_

_Tsume looked away from his knife to see what his sister wanted. Ever since they both turned human, Tsuki hadn't changed back into a wolf for any reason whatsoever. However, the attire she was wearing was not to his liking, so he "found" a wool jacket for her to wear. It didn't cover much, but it would do for now._

_When he looked up, he saw her carrying a bag. "You got us food?" he asked._

_She nodded. "A nice old man gave it to me. He's seen me go through town looking for work and he said it wasn't right for a young lady like me to be walking through this shady town alone. I told him I just wanted money for food and he went inside his home and made these sandwiches!"_

_Tsume took the bag from her and sniffed the contents. It smelled of meat and sweet condiments. It was edible._

_After they ate, Tsume decided to give Tsuki something. Since they were straining to find jobs so they could buy food instead of stealing it, they didn't have any luxuries except for a book they found in the apartment they were now living in, which Tsuki decided to learn to read. But the night he went into town he found something he knew Tsuki would like._

"_Tsuki." She stopped reading to see what he wanted. He held out a golden necklace. The chain sparkled like it was brand new (Tsume just spent the whole day shining it up so it could look that way) and the locket on the end shone like the moon. Tsuki couldn't take her eyes off of it._

"_What is it?" she asked._

"_It's a necklace."_

"_A necklace?"_

"_It's jewelry—uh, something humans wear to look nice. I thought it would look nice on you."_

"_Where did you find it?"_

"_It was in the trash. I spent the whole day cleaning it for you." After Tsume put the chain around her neck, Tsuki went to ogle it in the broken mirror at the corner of the room. She fingered the locket attached to the chain and frowned. "If this was so expensive, why would anyone want to throw this away? It's so pretty."_

"_Humans are wasteful," Tsume answered bitterly._

_Tsuki turned away from the mirror and smiled. "Does it look nice on me?"_

_Tsume looked up again and smiled. "Yes, it does."_

_She nearly squealed. "I'm going to go back outside and look around!"_

"_Hide the necklace under your coat," he said before she left. "If someone sees that, they might get the wrong idea." She nodded and tucked the necklace under her coat before leaving._

_Tsume sighed. He was uncomfortable knowing his little sister was wandering this shady town by herself, but they had to do everything they could to get food and water. Tsume was offered a "job" the other day. The men who confronted him were planning on robbing a train filled with goods that were going to be shipped to the Nobles. It was a good deal, but it was also dangerous, and he didn't want to risk it. He couldn't leave Tsuki by herself. But he promised the men he would think about it._

_Since his sister would be out for a while, Tsume decided to find some other work. It was hard to find something simple and paid enough to feed him and Tsuki, especially with his intimidating appearance. Nobody believed he was trustworthy, so they denied him employment. Tsume almost had to the urge to start stealing again but he pushed the feeling away and continued on with his search. Maybe he would take that train job offer after all._

_A few hours later, he returned to the apartment and found Tsuki sitting on the flimsy mattress in their apartment, reading that book for the nth time that day. When she saw her big brother enter the apartment, she grinned giddily and ran to him. "Tsume, guess what happened to me today!"_

"_Did you finally get a job?"_

"_No," she said sadly. He sighed as he plopped down on the mattress and lied back with his eyes closed. "But I did meet a wolf!" she said excitedly._

_Tsume's eyes shot up and he immediately sprung up from his position. "What?!" After the fire unleashed in their home and destroyed everything, Tsume assumed they were the only ones of their kind left. If Tsuki ran into another wolf, then there had to be more of them and that meant they would eventually be found. He wouldn't have that._

"_Don't worry! He was friendly!" she quickly added noticing the dangerous glint in her brother's eyes._

"_That doesn't matter! You can't trust any of them!"_

"_But this wolf didn't attack me even when he saw me in my human form! Somehow, he knew I was a wolf. He told me about this wonderful place called Paradise." Tsume froze. "He said Paradise is a wonderful place filled with these sweet smelling lunar flowers, and the land is covered in luscious grass and trees and clean lakes. And the air doesn't smell like smoke! It's fresh and clear all the time! There are a lot of animals so there'd be plenty to eat! Doesn't that sound wonderful?"_

_Tsume said nothing for a really long time. After a moment of silence, Tsume went back to the mattress. "Sounds too good to be real," he simply muttered._

"_Well, that wolf didn't think so. He's looking for Paradise. He said it's where wolves really belong." Tsume noticed Tsuki stopped talking for a while and looked up at her. Seeing that gratuitous glint in her eye, he knew what was coming next. "Tsume… I think we should go with him. It'd be better than staying here. We'd have plenty to eat and a safe place to live. What do you say?"_

"_Tsuki, don't go believing that bull. Paradise isn't real. It's just a myth."_

"_But—"_

"_No, Tsuki."_

"_Well, if you just met him—"_

"_Go with that jackass if you want, Tsuki, but I don't want to hear another word about that place! Paradise is nothing but a sham and I'm not going to believe it just because some smartass wolf you met on the street told you about it!"_

_After realizing his outburst, Tsume suddenly regretted it. Tears were threatening to fall from Tsuki's blue eyes. She wiped them away and the sadness was replaced with anger. "Fine! I'll find that wolf and go to Paradise with him!" Tsuki ran out of the apartment, leaving Tsume cursing to himself._

"_Tsuki!" The gray wolf followed his sister out of the apartment but as soon as he was outside, she was already gone. The trail was very fresh, so she wouldn't be far._

_It had been hours since Tsuki had run from him and he still couldn't find her. She was probably out of the city by now with that damn wolf she met on the street. He had never lost his temper when it came to Tsuki, but he couldn't tolerate such bullshit. How dare that wolf feed her these lies about this Paradise and give her false hope! She was only a pup. She had already gone through so much and it had been rough on her. Tsume knew she needed a little hope in that tender heart of hers but not something as unpromising as Paradise. He had to find her before it was too late._

_Tsume stopped when he saw an old man sitting on his porch. It must've been the old man who gave Tsuki those sandwiches. If he was wrong he would move on. "Have you seen a young girl pass by here?" he asked._

"_Why yes," the old man said. "She came by not too long ago asking if I'd seen a wolf around. I didn't believe such nonsense. Told her wolves have been extinct for over 200 years. She went that way. If you're quick, you can catch her."_

"_Thanks."_

_The tip from the old man was very helpful. He found another fresh trail of Tsuki's scent and three other scents along with it. They smelled feral and dog-like. He ran faster, smelling a collision of caustic odors and barely catching a whiff of Tsuki in the midst of it. When he rounded a corner, he saw a bloody mess in the middle of the alley. And it smelled like Tsuki._

_The trail ended in the puddle of blood. The foul smells he sensed earlier were all over the place, including Tsuki's. Bits of her fur were also found. He picked a piece up and watched as it fell apart in his hand._

_Then he began trembling. He had never felt so much anguish inside. If only he did say those horrible things to her. Then they'd still be in that rundown apartment, together. She would've been safe. Now she was gone…_

_And it was all his fault._

_Throwing his head back, the scarred wolf unleashed a heartrending bay of sorrow, crying out for his lost sister._

-X-

"So that's why you never wanted to believe in Paradise. Because Tsuki…" Hige didn't bother to finish when he saw the ireful expression on Tsume's face.

Toboe had been very silent throughout the whole story. It was heartbreaking hearing Tsume go through all of that. No wonder he seemed so distant when they first met. He didn't want to go through that again, so the best thing he thought to do was to stay away. And now that Tsuki had her memories back, there was no doubt she'd want to remain at her brother's side. Now that the closest thing to him was back, Toboe knew Tsume would never let it go again.

And after hearing their story, Toboe felt like such a coward. He was going to stay in the village just because he was afraid of what was out there. Tsume and Tsuki had been through much worse, and he survived this far. Why should he be afraid?

The three wolves decided to quiet for a while. They all looked up at the moon as if to seek comfort from it. "So what do you want to do, runt?" Hige finally said as he patted Toboe's back.

"No matter how hard you try to hide," Tsume said, "at some point, you'll have to fight. Like it or not, that's just the way it is."

Toboe sighed. "I know. I know that."

Suddenly, the flap to the Elder's teepee opened. The pack looked up apprehensively when they saw a tired-looking Kiba come out as he was being supported by Tsuki. Slowly, they made their way over to the friends as they were followed by the Elder himself. "Hey, guys," the tired boy said. "Long time no see."

"I suppose you think that's funny, huh?" Hige said angrily.

"You scared us half to death!" Toboe exclaimed. "Where've you been?"

"Some place peaceful," Kiba answered calmly. "It was almost like Paradise."

The three wolves looked at him tensely. "But… it wasn't, right?" Tsume asked.

"No. They kicked me out." Kiba looked at Tsuki when he said this. He almost said it like a joke, but Tsuki was the only one who understood him.

"Well, whoever they are, I don't blame them. I wouldn't want to deal with a pain in the ass like you, either."

Kiba chuckled. "It's good to be back." He looked up at the moon and smiled. The light emitting from it felt gone on his weary bones.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, thanks to Tsuki. I would've been lost forever if it wasn't for her." He squeezed her shoulder a bit in gratitude. "I feel like I've been dreaming for a really long time. A strange and wonderful dream."

"What your spirit beheld was the Garden of Eternity," the Elder informed.

"Garden of Eternity?" Kiba repeated quizzically.

"You experienced joy and tranquility unlike any you've known before, yes?"

"Yeah."

"That is enough to satisfy most people. They embrace the illusion and never look back. But for you, that bliss was not enough or you wouldn't have returned."

"Yes, there is somewhere else I need to go. Lu… Tsuki made me realize that."

Suddenly, the Elder's face looked grave. "Tell me, why are you searching for Paradise?"

"I have to, to survive."

Then the Elder smiled. "I see." And with that satisfying answer, the Elder slowly began making his way back to his teepee. Everyone watched him dubiously. For a wise old man he sure was an oddball.

Tsuki felt that he was hiding some kind of secret, something he failed to tell the others. While the boys continued to talk, she went over to the Elder. "Why didn't you tell them about Lupa, Elder?"

The Elder smiled at her. "The choice if yours if you want your friends to know. Your friends need you, but you are still your own person. You decide your own fate just as Kiba decided his in the Garden of Eternity." He patted her arm consolingly. "Good luck on your journey, dear." When the Elder went inside his teepee, Tsuki wondered about her journey. It wasn't just to Paradise. She'd have to figure her journey on her own.

When she went back to the others, Kiba was explaining his experience in the Garden of Eternity. "When I was there, the whole time it felt like I was forgetting something."

"You mean Cheza?" Tsume inquired.

"Not just her. I mean you guys. I… thought you were dead."

Tsuki nearly laughed when she saw the looks on their faces; it was priceless.

"You've got to be kidding!" Hige exclaimed. "Do you have any idea how hard we busted our butts trying to find you!?"

"Oh, you did? Sorry, I didn't know."

Hige sighed at his nonchalant response. "That brain of yours is never going to change, is it?"

Suddenly, everybody broke out into laughter, including Tsuki. She had no idea what was so funny. Maybe the fact that Kiba still the same old, aggravating Kiba, the one that made everyone worry because of his brash actions. And knowing he was okay made everyone relieved. She liked it and she didn't want to leave it. She at home when she was with these guys. It wouldn't be the same without them.

When they all calmed down, Kiba looked at them and said, "Let's go."

Hige and Tsume exchanged glances before looking at Toboe. Tsuki's smile softened into a sad frown. She'd forgotten Toboe wasn't going with them. Now that Kiba was here, she wondered if he would still stay.

"I… I…" Toboe took a deep breath and sat up confidently. "I'm not gonna whine anymore. And I won't run away."

"Wanna bet?" Hige snorted.

The pup frowned at him. "No way."

Tsuki smiled. She wondered what made him change his mind.

Tsume pushed Toboe's head. "You ready?" he asked Kiba. "The kid sure is."

Kiba smiled. "Yeah."

So the wolves began their departure with Iyek in tow to escort them out. "Is Paradise far from here?" he asked.

"I don't know, but there's no doubt in my mind that we're gonna find it."

"Do you think it's okay that we're trying to get there?" Toboe asked.

Iyek smiled. "Take comfort in knowing that the spirits are with you."

The wolves took a moment of silence to relish that thought.

"See ya," Kiba said.

"Yeah, let's go," Tsume said.

"Later," Hige said.

Toboe and Tsuki stayed behind to give a proper goodbye to their new friends. "I guess this is goodbye," Toboe said.

"You've got what it takes to get to Paradise," the horse said. "And then some."

Toboe looked over at Tsuki and smiled. Their hands intertwined. "Thanks a lot."

The horse whinnied in reply. Toboe tried copying the action by showing off his teeth and laughing. Tsuki giggled before looking at Iyek. "Thank you, Iyek," she said.

"It was no trouble. You're welcome here any time."

"Iyek," Toboe spoke up. "There's something I need you to do for me." He knelt down to the dog accompanying them. "He's got my scent on him, so he shouldn't be too hard to find."

* * *

><p>In the far off distance, the snow was still fresh and cold. But to a numb drunk, it was nothing but a cold, wet blanket. He was stranded with nothing to eat and not even a lick of alcohol to satisfy his needs.<p>

He was reminded of his agony when his empty stomach growled. "Oh, shut up. No matter where I am it's the same damn snow." He sighed. "Oh well. Death will be here soon enough. When he comes for me, I'll see Russe again." He closed his eyes, awaiting the shadow of Death to overcome him.

Suddenly, the pitter-patter of little paws trudged towards him. Then there was a series of barking and more patter came from the snow. Someone was coming. He felt something lifting his head and pouring something into his mouth. It was sweet, like alcohol…

Without warning, he took the bottle and chugged the whole thing until he was out of breath. He looked up and saw a man with markings on his face, tan skin, and long black hair. "Who are you?" he asked.

Iyek took the bottle back and faced it downward to see if there was anything left. "You chugged all of my restorative potion," he said in disbelief.

"To me, it was the water of life. Ah… I'm back from the grave."

"I was asked as a favor to rescue you."

"To rescue me?"

"Yeah. Asked by a wolf."

The man laughed. "Yeah, pal. Not likely."

"Why? Don't you believe in wolves?"

"Oh, I believe in them alright. I believe they're servants of the devil."

Iyek said nothing as he took out a sack from his jacket. "Here's some food. I'll keep my promise to help you, regardless of what kind of man you are.

Quent sat up as he took the sack. "Why the hell… would they want to show me pity at this point? Give me a freakin' break."

Iyek watched the man trudge away. He had no idea why Toboe would want to help a man who despised wolves so much. This man had no idea how lucky he was. He was given a second chance to take his life in another direction. Right now he was on the path to nowhere.

* * *

><p><strong>It's been three months since I updated. I apologize. Now the writer's block is gone, but I don't how long that's going to last. Keep your fingers crossed!<strong>

_**R&R!**_


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter XII**

The venture was long, but the wolves were finally able to make it out of the desert and back into the harsh tundra. As they ran, they spotted flashing lights in the sky and the smell of fire was not so distant. They shortly stopped at the top of a precipice overlooking a small town from afar. The sound of gunfire echoed through the wind.

"That's the stench of battle," Kiba murmured.

They went closer, and the stench of battle grew stronger. When they were close enough, they couldn't see soldiers killing each other, people getting blown to bits, and battleships sending in more ammunition. "Those stupid humans are killing each other," Tsume said.

"And all for a Noble's glory," Hige added sadly.

The sight made Tsuki want to vomit. She couldn't stand all this violence. Was this what the humans were reduced to? What more did the Nobles have to prove? How much blood had to be spilled in order for them to be satisfied? She closed her eyes as the battle raged on.

Toboe was the only one who seemed to notice this. This whole thing had to be devastating to her. "Kiba, we should go," Toboe suggested. "Don't you think?"

Their leader said nothing as he watched the battle.

"It's Jaguara's troops," Hige pointed out bitterly.

Tsuki opened her eyes again to see that he was right. Some of the soldiers were coated in black armor, similar to the soldiers they encountered at Darcia's Keep.

"We found them," Tsume said.

Suddenly the pack heard a strong squawk come from the sky. Tsuki looked up and saw her hawk friend. "Shouta?"

"What's bird brain doing here?" Hige asked bluntly.

The hawk flew in a circle three times before flying towards the town where the battle occurred. Tsuki immediately followed him.

"Tsuki!" Toboe cried.

"Not again," Hige mumbled irately.

The wolves began following her, but Tsuki was running so fast she was already too far ahead of them. Shouta would not leave her sight. However, her attention on the hawk drew her away from her current destination. She didn't realize she was in the middle of the battle until she saw three of Jaguara's soldiers surrounding her. They all had their weapons pointed at her. Tsuki narrowed her eyes; this would be too easy.

The first one in front of her shot at her, but she was in the air before the force hit her. She kicked him in the face and quickly moved on to the next guy. She slashed at his throat and grabbed his gun to use on the last one. When the soldier fell, Tsuki stopped to catch her breath. The wind stung her cheek and she realized she had a cut. She wiped the blood away and licked her fingers.

Shouta's squawk brought her attention back. He was perched on the wreckage of a building. When he flew down, Tsuki dropped the gun and started following him again. When she caught up to him, she saw he was perched on another piece of wreckage. They appeared to be alone, so Tsuki finally asked him, "What are you doing here? Where is Tora?"

"They're going to Jaguara's City. I believe that's just over the sea of moving ice."

"Then I'm going there, too."

"Don't you want to wait for your companions?"

Tsuki stopped and looked back. "I don't think I should stay with them; I would just get in the way. Besides, I have a destiny that I'm still trying to figure out."

"Tsuki!" Toboe ran towards her. "Why'd you run off?" Then he saw the hawk. "You found Shouta."

"Uh, yeah," she said nervously.

"Come on. This guy from Darcia's City told us where we can find Cheza. We're about to go there now."

"You guys can go on ahead without me."

"But Tsuki—"

"Don't worry. I'll catch up. I just have to… deal with something."

Toboe looked unsure, but he complied. "Alright. I'll tell the others."

As soon as he ran off, Tsuki sighed. "Shouta, informing me on Tora's location couldn't have been the only reason why you flew all the way back. Does Tora want something from me? Or does Darcia? Hamona?"

"He just wanted me to assure your safety," he said. "And he wanted me to tell you not to do anything you'll regret."

"Like leaving my friends, just like I was about to do?"

Shouta chuckled a little, but as a bird, it sounded like a squawk. "Something like that. Goodbye for now, Tsuki. We shall see each other another time."

"Goodbye, Shouta."

Her hawk friend flew off back to whence he came and Tsuki rejoined her friends. They were already on their way to the sea of moving ice, and Tsuki had a feeling Cheza was not so far ahead.

* * *

><p>Not so far from the battle, a group of trunks drove off towards Jaguara's City. Inside were the prisoners caught at Darcia's Keep. Two of the them, a wolf and the Flower Maiden, sat in separate cages quietly. Blue, the wolf, watched the Flower Maiden, Cheza, quietly. She'd never actually talked to her as a human and she had no idea what to say. She had to be scared, separated from her wolf companions. At least they weren't alone.<p>

"You've been awfully quiet," Blue said. "Are you doing alright?"

Cheza nodded. "It is because this one is not alone."

Blue smiled. It was as if she read her mind. "You know, I… I really like your scent a lot." The truck shook a bit. Blue continued when it calmed down. "It's funny, but… whenever I'm around you, I get the strangest feeling, even at a time like this."

"Why did you let them take you when they captured this one?" Cheza asked curiously. "You could've escaped easily and yet you did not."

Blue was surprised by her question. She didn't know how she would answer it. Was it just her scent? Or was it the strange feeling she always got when she was around Cheza? No, it wasn't any of that. Blue just knew that she had to be with Cheza. "I guess you're right," she finally said, "but I just wanted to see things through for once. Pops, and Russe, too—there was nothing I could do to protect either one of them. When they both needed me the most, I couldn't help them.

"Besides, I can't be with them, not anymore. Because until the day I met you back in that city I've spent my whole life not knowing who I really was. So I don't have any of that wolf's pride Hige and the others seem to thrive on. But maybe somewhere deep in my heart, I always knew what it meant. That's why I decided no matter what happens, I have to protect you."

When she saw the intricate look on Cheza's face, Blue smiled at her apologetically. "I didn't meant to get so serious on you. Sorry. It's amazing I can talk to you like this. You're almost too good to be true. You kind of remind me of Ts…" Blue stopped when she realized what she was about to say. When Cheza smiled at her, she snickered under her breath. She felt silly. "Anyway, I promise he'll be coming for us soon enough."

"Yes," Cheza agreed.

"But until then, I'll be here to protect you."

"Hige," Cheza suddenly said, "you have faith in him, do you not, Blue?"

"What? Why would you think that? Faith in that sexist jerk…" she grumbled. "Give me a break!"

To her surprise, the Flower Maiden began giggling. Even with her stubbornness, Blue couldn't keep a smile off her face and she soon joined Cheza in laughter. "Hey, Cheza," she said when they stopped laughing. "This Paradise place, what's it really like?"

Cheza looked troubled as she tried to give her an answer. "… This one… does not remember."

"Oh. Well… I guess we'll find out when we get there."

Cheza smiled. If only she could remember what it was like. Even though she enjoyed Blue's company, she wished the others were here to comfort her, especially Tsuki. She was the only other person who went to Paradise and came back. If there was anyone who knew how she felt at the moment, it was the wolf with the lavender fur. In fact, she felt as if she could read her very thoughts.

* * *

><p>Tsuki didn't think things were going to get worse until they entered the sea of ice.<p>

As they ran, she suddenly gained this terrible headache. She had a feeling it had something to do with Cheza, but her mind was so fuzzy, she wasn't even paying any attention until the pack stopped. They were on the end of an icy precipice looking out at an ice flow.

"Are we gonna walk across this?" Toboe asked timidly. Tsuki had to agree with his lack of enthusiasm.

"We have to," Kiba answered. "It's on the other side."

And with that decision, the wolves began their way down the cliff into the flowing sea of ice. Toboe was already having some trouble on the ice drifts. One step and he had already slipped into the water. "That's cold!" he cried.

"Would you be careful, runt," Hige chastised. "You know we're on top of water here."

Toboe glowered at him. "I know that! Come on! Let's go!" A burst of energy suddenly came over the pup, making the rest of the pack stupefied. "Well, what are you waiting for? Hurry up! This cold feels great!"

"What the hell's he so happy for? It's freezing!"

"He's such a pup," Tsume said.

As they went on, Toboe's newly founded energy seemed to elevate while the opposite was happening to Tsuki. But seeing Toboe's exuberance also made her a little more energetic and optimistic as she ran along next to her brother.

There were some things that did make Toboe hesitate, though. He seemed to have trouble crossing large gorges between the ice. It must've been the height, she thought. She watched him carefully as he stood on the other side.

"Hey! What the hell are you waiting for?" Hige shouted impatiently. "Are you scared?"

"I was just getting ready to, alright!" Toboe replied.

"Getting ready to do what?"

Toboe took a few steps back before sprinting and jumping across the gorge with a stubborn cry. He lost his balance and slid past the others before landing with a thud. Tsuki ran to him. "Are you alright, Toboe?"

"Yeah," he mumbled. "I'll be fine. What…" He stopped when he noticed bones sprawled over the ice. He picked one of them up and examined it. "Are these old bird bones or what?"

Hige took the bone from his hand and sniffed it. He whimpered. "Not so much as a scrap of meat on them."

"Don't worry," said Kiba. "We should find something in the town up ahead."

"Yeah, you're right," said Tsume. "The sooner we put this frozen dump behind us the sooner we can eat. Hey Toboe! You still in one piece?"

"Wha—Well, of course I am!" Toboe stuttered angrily. "Let's get moving!" He brushed Tsuki off his arm and ran off. Tsuki looked after him sadly before joining the others.

In the back, she heard Hige mumble something. "Come on, birds. Let's see some flying up there."

Toboe might've acted tough, but everyone knew better. It wasn't long until Toboe's energy began to sap and he was slowing down behind the others. Whenever they asked if he wanted to rest, Toboe would stubbornly continue forward despite how exhausted he was. They played along, not wanting to crush his spirit. Seeing him so behind, Tsuki stopped and joined his side.

"Toboe, it's okay if you're tired. We can stop and join the others later."

He shook his head. "I'm not a weak little pup everyone thinks I am." He frowned at Tsuki. "We're in a hurry, aren't we?"

Tsuki sighed sadly. "Right."

They eventually caught up to the others, who were looking at a valley of bones. "Man, it's like a junkyard for bones," Hige said.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Tsume growled.

"That may be," Kiba said. "but we still have to pass through it."

"I kinda figured you'd say that," Hige griped. Then he smelled the blood. "Toboe, what happened to your arm?"

"Oh, um…" Toboe quickly hid his injury away. "I must've bumped into something. It's just a scratch."

Everyone else wasn't so sure. "Why don't we rest for a while," Kiba suggested.

Toboe frowned. "Don't baby me! I said I'm fine! Come on! Daylight's wasting!" He ran past the others with another sudden burst of energy.

"If he's got that much energy he must be okay," Hige said.

"But there's no telling what the scent of fresh blood will attract," Kiba discerned.

"Look on the bright side," Tsume said. "If something _does_ decide to show up we can always eat it."

"All the better if that something has a lot of red meat on it," Hige groaned.

The wolves continued on, and Toboe continued to slow down. Everyone knew how dog-tired he was, so sometimes they waited until he was closer to them before running again. Tsuki couldn't stand it anymore. The pain in her head transferred to her heart as she watched Toboe struggle across the ice.

"You guys go ahead," she said. "I'll stay with Toboe."

"Are you sure?" Kiba asked.

She nodded affirmatively. "We'll be fine." Tsume still looked unsure. She understood that he wanted to keep a close eye on her, but she couldn't be babied forever. "Go ahead, please."

"… Fine. Just be careful." Surprisingly, he kissed her forehead. Kiba and Hige gaped at them.

Noticing their unnerving gaze, Tsume glared at them. "Let's go."

Kiba was still a bit confused. No one had told him about her relationship with Tsume, she guessed. Hige did the honors and began to explain as they walked away.

Tsuki went back and joined Toboe, who was now lying on his face. She knelt down beside him. "Toboe, it's okay if you're tired. We can always stop. I asked the others to go ahead so you can catch your breath."

Toboe groaned. "You didn't have to do that, Tsuki. I don't want to be babied."

"I'm not babying you." She took his injured arm. "I'm just being cautious."

"Hey!" Toboe sat up and took his arm away.

"Relax." She took off her arm length gloves. "Give me your arm back. You shouldn't expose your wound. It'll attract many predators, not to mention you could get an infection."

Toboe sighed and gave her his arm. "I'm just tired of being a burden." He winced when she tightened the fabric around his arm.

"Sorry," she apologized. "And you're not a burden. You're a part of this pack, and the others would never leave you behind no matter what."

"Whatever." When she was done, Toboe stood from his spot and began to walk away. Tsuki wished he could see that he was a special part of this pack. It made her want to be less special just to make him feel better.

As soon as Tsuki was on her feet, the throbbing pain in her head returned more violently then before.

_This pain… Something's happening with Cheza._

Toboe noticed that Tsuki was lagging behind. She was clutching her head as if she were in immense pain. "Tsuki? What's wrong?"

Tsuki released her head and her arms went limp. The scowl on her lips transformed into a warm smile. Her eyes changed from pain to euphoric pleasure. And their color, Toboe didn't like it when they were _that_ color. "It's Cheza…"

"Cheza?" Toboe looked up. He couldn't see anything but gloomy, gray clouds in the sky. "What are you talking about, Tsuki?"

"It's Cheza! I see her!" Tsuki began to run away from where the others were headed.

"Tsuki, wait!" Seeing that he couldn't stop her, Toboe followed Tsuki until she finally stopped. Her eyes were still red but she was no longer smiling. "Tsuki, I don't see Cheza anywhere. The people who took her are heading in the other direction toward Jaguara's City." Tsuki was unresponsive. "Tsuki, what's the matter with you?" Toboe took her shoulders. "Tsuki, snap out of it!"

Tsuki's eyes closed sadly. They shot back open in alert. They returned to their normal blue hue, which relieved Toboe a bit, but he was still a bit alarmed. "Something's following us. Hang on a sec." She went over and stuck her head in the water.

"Tsuki!"

Not a moment too soon, Tsuki jumped up from her spot. "Run!" She wait another moment and grabbed his hand.

They ran as fast as they could to catch up with the others. "Tsuki, what'd you see?"

"Don't look back!"

Toboe took a quick glance back and saw something big lumbering towards them in the water. "What is that thing?!"

"I told you not to look back!" Toboe began to speed up as the creature followed them. It seemed to be getting closer. "It's gaining on us!"

It wasn't long until they saw the others. They were waiting on the other side of a large gorge. Tsuki saw the fearful look on Toboe's face and squeezed his hand. "It'll be okay, Toboe," she said breathlessly. "Just keep running. We'll jump together on my mark." When they were close enough, Tsuki shouted, "Jump!" On the other side, the two pups slipped past the three eldest members of their pack, crashing into each other.

"Are you guys okay?" Hige asked. "Why are you in such a rush?"

"Something's following us!" Toboe said, he said as he helped Tsuki up. "We have to move…!"

The icy ground beneath them began to quake and something burst out of the ice in front of Toboe and Tsuki. All the wolves stared at the large beast in disbelief. Toboe was frozen with fear. When Tsuki finally came to and realized what was going on, she went into action. "Toboe, move!" She pushed him aside as the creature crashed towards them. The ice where the pups used to be burst into thousands of pieces.

"Toboe! Tsuki!" Kiba, Tsume, and Hige ran towards the flurry when they saw Toboe. Hige approached him first. "Are you okay, runt?"

"Yeah. Where's Tsuki?" They looked on the other side of the hole. Tsuki was nowhere to be found. "Tsuki!"

The beast that attacked the pups suddenly emerged from the water and stood over them, dauntingly. It was a walrus with giant tusks capable of taking out anything smaller than its size.

"Tsuki, no! You bastard!" Tsume, along with Kiba, angrily attacked the beast, biting every inch of its blubbered body.

It was able to knock both the wolves off. Unfortunately, Kiba was thrown into a wall of ice. It went to the disoriented wolf and stuck its tusk into his leg. Kiba cried out in pain. "Kiba!" Hige cried. He went and joined Tsume, attacking the beast so it would let go of his friend.

Toboe stayed behind as he tried to look for Tsuki. "Tsuki, you have to be here somewhere. Where are you?" He sifted through the ice and snow. He quickly gave up, seeing that she wouldn't respond. He clenched his fists angrily. "Tsuki…" He had failed to protect her. He broke his promise, and now…

He looked back at the battle before him. The walrus's tusk was still lodged into Kiba's leg and the others were still trying to get him to remove it, but they were quickly losing the battle. A sudden fiery burst of adrenaline lit up in Toboe's chest. He was tired of being useless, tired of being weak. He had lost Tsuki; he wasn't going to lose anymore of his friends.

With an angry cry, Toboe jumped out in full wolf form and bit the beast's eye. "Toboe, don't do it!" He ignored Kiba and kept hold on the walrus.

It fell back in the water in astonishment. It swam aimless through the water and ice trying to get the pup off until it finally collided into a glacier. Toboe and the walrus both sunk back into the sea. The others looked at the scene completely stupefied.

"That damn kid went crazy," Tsume growled. "First Tsuki, now Toboe…"

"This sucks," Hige said. "This really sucks. Why is he taking so long to come back up? Come on, Toboe." Hige couldn't take it anymore. Even though he teased the kid constantly, he really cared about him, though he wouldn't admit it. If Toboe died, he wouldn't know what to do. "Toboe!"

All of a sudden, the walrus, bloody and invested with giant shards of ice, climbed out of the hole it created earlier. One of its tusks was missing, probably due to the collision into the glacier. Toboe was still attached to its eye. It flung the pup off and he landed perfectly on his feet before stumbling back. Toboe snarled at it as he waited for the beast to make its next move. However, the walrus just flopped on its back in defeat.

"Toboe!" The others ran over to him. "Are you okay?" Hige asked.

"I can't believe," Tsume said as he stared at the giant game.

"What got into you?"

"I don't know. After what happened to Tsuki, I couldn't think straight. I got so angry…" His legs began to wobble and gave under. "I don't know. It was like something deep inside of me snapped all of a sudden."

At the mention of his sister, Tsume held one fist in his pocket while the other clenched so hard his nails drew blood. Toboe frowned sadly. Not only did he let Tsuki down, he felt as if he let down Tsume. He lost his sister again, and there was no way of getting her back this time. If only he wasn't so slow, then Tsuki wouldn't have had to save him.

"Tsume, I…" Suddenly, a bay howled from the north, in the direction of Jaguara's City. It was the sweet, melodious bay Toboe heard when they first met. "Tsuki."

"How is that possible?" Hige asked.

"Whatever the case, we know she's alive and she's heading towards Jaguara's City," Kiba said. "She wants us to follow."

"Then what the hell are we waiting for?" Tsume said.

"You must be joking." They all turned to the walrus, who was slowly drowning in his own blood. "Not once have I ever been defeated on this island. I have been here protecting it since long, long ago, even when I was the only one left. In this world, it's either killed or be killed. But understand this: I will not die a victim; I am going to save… you." The walrus installed this message using the last of his breath. The wolves stared at his pitifully.

The silence was disturbed by Hige's growling stomach. Kiba stopped him. "Hige." The hungry wolf nodded in understanding.

Kiba put a firm hand on Toboe's quivering shoulder. "He's your kill, so you eat first."

Toboe smiled confidently before going forward and taking the first bite. The rest shortly joined him. And thankfully, Tsuki's bays had not stopped as they feasted. When they were done, they followed the sound of the bays even as they echoed in the distance.

* * *

><p>She was drowning, that was all she could tell. It would be the second time she died, the second time she would enter into Paradise, the second time she would lose everything. But then she felt a force pulling her out of her cold, dank demise and she found herself back on the cold surface.<p>

Before her stood three blurry figures. Or perhaps they seemed blurry because they were white. One of the figures was much larger than the other two. They had beady black eyes. The smaller two figures approached her curiously. It took Tsuki a while to realize that they were polar bears.

"It is alright, child," the mother bear said sensing her apprehension. "You are safe here."

Tsuki stood up and shook her coat dry. Her cubs looked at her as if she were an alien, which she probably was because she was wandering in a foreign land with her friends.

"The others! Where…?"

"I'm afraid you were separated from your friends when you were attacked by the Guardian of the Sea of Moving Ice."

"That thing was protecting this land?"

"Yes. There used to be many more of us, but I'm afraid the pollution from the human cities has defiled the land. Only some of us can fair for so long. The Guardians decided to kill off anything that dared to cross the land. My children have lost their father to this cause." The polar bear cubs stood around their mother, sensing her sadness. "You were lucky I found you before the last Guardian finished you off."

"Why did you save me?"

"Because you and your friends are destined to go on."

Tsuki sighed. This polar bear was starting to sound like the Hmong Elder. Everyone seemed to know more about her destiny than her, even her alter ego, Lupa. If they knew so much, why did they tell her everything in riddles? Was it because they didn't really know? Whatever it was, she wasn't going to ignore it anymore. She would find out who she was even if she had to do it by herself.

"Thank you for helping me, but I should alert my friends where I am going."

"Good luck on your journey, young wolf."

Tsuki nodded again before she ran off. She ran until she couldn't spot the bears. Then she howled as much as her lungs would allow her. She didn't hear a reply and assumed the worst. _Tsume… Toboe…_

Thinking of the polar bears, she couldn't help thinking there was still some compassion in this world. A mother would do anything for her children, and her compassion usually passed on to her children. Maybe that was the kind of person her mother was. She never really thought about her mother, not since she had Tsume, and then there was Tora and then Toboe…

Tsuki howled again in sadness. A light shone over her, and her howl was stopped abruptly. "Oh no." She didn't have time to alert the others when she was suddenly hit by a laser from the Jaguara's ship.

* * *

><p><strong>I know I took really long to update. I've been so busy and I was away for four days this week, so I apologize.<strong>

_**R&R!**_


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter XIII**

"I tell you now the words of Red Moon. From the great spirit was born the Wolf, and Man became its messenger. The beast lives his life in silence, abiding where the blessings of the blood of the gods is bestowed upon him. The White Flower, after winning the favor of the Lord of the Night, will share his scent."

Her Highness sat before the luminescent flower that was chained stagnant in a glass orb of organic, transparent fluid. The tale she was reciting, improvised by the common knowledge she had, was one the amused her greatly, mostly because she knew it rang with truth and yet sounded utterly ridiculous. The wolves might've reigned the earth before, but now, as it was dying, so were the dominant species that was said to be the origin of man.

And as she continued to speak, the Flower Maiden began to slowly awaken from her slumber.

"Preordained and eternal in countenance, her form was of a lily-white subtle maiden. She distills and condenses all of time, until it becomes a precious, frozen mass."

A meal was presented to her by her menservants. The platter before her and the wine poured into her glass disturbed the Flower Maiden, and she let out her despondent cry. This made Her Majesty smile.

"Only then will appear the wretched beast."

"My Lady Jaguara!" Jaguara set down her glass when the urgent voice echoed into her dining chamber, feeling rather angry about having her meal disturbed. "We have her. We found her near the sea of moving ice like you said."

Jaguara's anger subsided as she took another sip from her glass. "Is she ready?" she asked curtly.

"Yes."

She stood from her chair, her menservants bowing in respect mechanically. "Show me."

The man-servant led her to the room where they kept the wolf. They entered a library that was filled with a plethora of knowledge. It was Jaguara's study; she would usually reside here in order to gain more knowledge about the wolves and their history. At the other side of her study was a girl. Her white hair and tan skin glowed in her newly made leotard. It was similar to the Flower Maiden's, except she didn't have a collar. When she saw the humans enter, her blue eyes glowed with belligerence. Jaguara recognized the alert in her eyes and smiled coyly. "I'll take it from here." The manservant left Jaguara and the girl alone.

As soon as the door closed, the girl showed her true colors and changed into a wolf. Jaguara marveled her lavender fur. "My, my, my. Tora did a fine job on you." The wolf snarled at her. "From the way you're reacting, I suppose you know who I am, and if you know who I am, that's mean you have more to fear than you realize. You're not the first wolf I've dealt with, after all."

The wolf continued to growl at her. "Try to get comfortable," Jaguara advised. "Your time of luxury won't last long, and anticipating the pain now will only make it worse later on."

Reluctantly, the she-wolf slowly turned back into a young girl. "Good girl."

Jaguara slowly went over to her chair, where a copy of _The Book of the Moon_ was waiting to be read. She picked it up and skimmed through it briefly. "I heard from Tora that you are a lovely artist. I left you an empty canvas. See if you can paint me something nice. I can hang over my mantle, right next to the pelts of your brethren."

When she left, the manservant stood there waiting for orders patiently. "With Lupa here, the other won't be far behind. Make sure to give them a warm welcome."

"Yes, My Lady Jaguara."

She walked off, flipping through the book absentmindedly. "The last wolf, hidden by the other side of the moon…" She chortled under her breath. "What will he be like, I wonder. This wolf that will lead me to Paradise…"

Meanwhile, after the Noble left, tears began to stream down the wolf-girl's lovely face. Her hand broke the brush in half. Jaguara was everything Tora had described: gorgeous yet deadly, like a viper. With that ridiculous helmet off, she was probably as beautiful as Hamona. It was hard to believe those two were sisters. Hamona was an angel; Jaguara was a monster. She needed to find a way out of here before the Noble discovered her friends were coming to the city, if they weren't here already, and there was only one way out of this place.

Her ears perked up when she heard someone enter. It was one of Jaguara's menservants. With a ravenous glint, the wolf looked upon its prey and smiled.

* * *

><p>"Wow," Toboe mused. "It's so warm."<p>

"See?" Hige said. "Boy when I'm right I am _so_ right."

"You forgot to mention it stinks here."

"Stop complaining!"

Despite being surrounded by garbage, it was considerably better than being on the sea of ice. Tsuki's howl led them here, in Jaguara's City. And thanks to Hige, they were able to find an entrance.

"How'd you know about this?"

Hige thought for a moment. "Can't say for sure," he admitted. "Hey! Must be my keen instinct!"

"Instinct, huh?" Tsume said.

"Look how high the ceiling is!" Toboe observed. "Man, I've never seen a dome this big before!"

"So what's the plan?" Tsume asked Kiba. He was still itching to get his sister—and Cheza—back, and he didn't want to stay in Jaguara's City more than he had to.

"Cheza's got to be somewhere inside the Keep," Kiba said.

Hige thought again, instinct kicking in. "Well, if that's the case, it should be over there."

"How do you know that?" Toboe asked curiously.

Before Hige could answer, a rumbling erupted from his stomach. The hungry wolf laughed nervously. "Hey, why don't we break into teams?" he said, changing the subject. "You guys look for a way in or something, and the runt and I will scope out the joint, okay?"

"Don't you mean scope out the food?" corrected Tsume.

Hige's laughter became more anxious. "Don't worry. We'll be sure to bring back enough for everyone," he assured. "Right?"

Toboe nodded in agreement, though he thought that a giant walrus would be enough to keep them going for another few days. "Leave it to us."

"We would be less conspicuous if we split up," Tsume agreed.

Kiba nodded. "Alright. The two of us will go and check out the area around the Keep."

Hige smiled. "It's a plan! We'll meet you back here at moonrise." And with that, the wolves split up.

Hige and Toboe had eventually reached a meager little marketplace similar to the one in Freeze City. Toboe couldn't detect where Tsuki was, and he doubted Hige was even trying to. Food was always on his mind. But Hige hadn't been acting like himself since they got into the city. He seemed to know a lot about this place, Toboe discerned, but he didn't complain. It had helped them get inside, after all. And lucky for them, Jaguara's minions weren't anywhere in sight, so they had nothing to worry about at the moment.

"We should be able to find food and water and just about anything in a place like this, don't you think?" Toboe said.

Hige seemed to have something else on his mind. "After you turn the corner up ahead, there's a big stairway that leads up. After that…"

"What are you talking about?"

Sure enough, they found the big stairway Hige was talking about absentmindedly. Toboe looked at it in awe. That couldn't just be a coincidence. Even Hige seemed amazed. "It's really here."

"Hige, what's going on?" Toboe inquired innocently.

Suddenly, two boys on skateboards flew down the stairway. Hige and Toboe quickly moved out of the way. "Morons!" Hige cried out angrily. "Watch where you're going!" The kids just laughed at him.

"I guess this place has people like Tsume, too."

"I guess so…" Hige mumbled irately. His anger quickly subsided when something else came to mind. "Everything's coming back to me now…" He went ahead, not bothering to wait for Toboe.

"Come on. Wait up!" But Hige kept going as if the pup wasn't following him. "Hige!"

"And just ahead there's a little elevator. And past that…"

Toboe was still confused. What was going on with Hige? Had he already been inside of Jaguara's City? But that was impossible… wasn't it? Why would Jaguara need with a wolf like Hige, anyway? Toboe tried not to think about it. Instead, he kept following Hige without question. After all, he didn't know anything about this place, and he had to trust Hige knew where he was going.

They went on until they found a gated room. It must've been the elevator Hige was talking about.

"This oughta take us all the way up," Hige said.

Toboe had never been in an elevator before, so he was skeptical about how functional this contraption would be. It was old and it made a lot of noise as they went up, which made him nervous. What if it broke down before they could get all the way up? Plus, they still had to get back to the others. They hadn't found any food, so there was no point in wandering off and getting lost.

"Hey, shouldn't we be heading back by now?"

"Relax. We'll be fine," Hige said. "Let's just see how far we can go, okay?"

When they were finally up, Hige kicked down the gate and they left. The upper level was much cleaner and splendid than the lower level. This must've been where the Nobles lived.

"Hige, how'd you know?" Toboe asked curiously. "You've been here before, right?"

"Nope, but when your instincts are as sharp as mine are, you get a feel for things."

If that was true, Toboe thought, then he had to have found a trace of Tsuki's whereabouts, or at least some trace of food. Now that he thought about, he couldn't smell anything. "Hey, how come there isn't any scent in this place?" And if there wasn't a scent, how come Hige's instincts were suddenly so sharp? he thought.

"Who knows," Hige said indifferently. "Maybe that Jaguara lady is a clean freak."

Toboe quickly caught up to Hige when he noticed he was starting to get sluggish. "What's the matter?"

"Every time I try to think, my head starts pounding."

"Probably not used to the strain is all." Hige grunted in irritation. Toboe frowned. Hige already had a hand on his forehead, and he was beginning to look clammy. "Hige, please. Tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong, okay?"

"Come on. You've been acting weird since we got here."

"Get off my back, will ya!" Hige ran off abruptly.

"Hige!" Toboe began to run after him.

"Toboe." The pup stopped and turned to see who called his name. The voice sounded too familiar. Behind him was a young girl about his age. She wore an brown coat, dirty boots, and a casket hat. Her legs were covered with a familiar lavender fabric. A flowery scent wafted into his nose. Her warm eyes glowed with recognition.

"… Tsuki."

* * *

><p>"Thieves!"<p>

Kiba and Tsume watched as two human boys ran off with some stolen goods. They couldn't help smiling. "Remind you of anyone?" Kiba said. "Even this city has people like the old you."

Tsume smirked. "Yeah, looks that way." He could never forget those times when he and his crew raided Noblemen cargo trains. He was a changed man now. He had a new purpose, a new responsibility, and a pack that wouldn't sell him out like Noble trash. "But it's guys like that who know the back alleys better than anyone."

He blocked off the boys before they could get away. "What the hell do you want?" the boy in the jacket said.

"I wanna talk."

"Keep walking pal! Not in the mood for handouts. Go get your own food."

"I just wanna ask you a question," Tsume said calmly.

"Look. I'm tired and hungry, so leave me alone." When the boys turned to leave, Kiba was on the other side blocking their exit. "What's the deal? Hey, if you guys wanna fight, that's _your_ deal."

The gutsy kid kicked at Tsume, who merely dodged the attack and kicked him against the wall. The other kid stood by idly with a stupid grin on his face. Kiba frowned. They must've had another trick up their sleeves. He heard a something click from the other kid on the ground. He didn't need to tell Tsume when the kid suddenly pulled out a gun. But before he could shoot it, something swooped down and knocked the gun out of his hands, and a gloved hand caught it. A hawk perched on the man's shoulder, and with a golden eye, he glared at the boy menacingly.

The boy trembled. "W-What the hell are you guys?"

The man refused to answer and crushed the gun in his hand. "Get out of here before I do the same to you and your friend." The boy nodded feverishly, and he and his friend quickly fled off.

When they were gone, the man smiled. "It's been a while, Kiba, Tsume."

The wolves smiled. "It's good to see you, Tora, Shouta," Kiba greeted. "What are you doing here?"

"We thought you were with your brother and that woman," Tsume said.

"I am. We've just arrived in the city."

"Darcia's here?"

Tora smiled at skeptical Kiba. "You don't have to worry about my brother. I know he didn't give a good first impression, but he's usually much more complacent when he has Hamona. We needed a place to hide, and _hers_ is the only city that's managed to stay intact for so long. When I sensed something was off, and I decided to see what it was for myself." Tora frowned. "Cheza and Tsuki have been captured, and you guys were looking for answers, weren't you?"

"We figured if anyone knew anything about Jaguara's Keep, it would be the citizens who lived in the slums. It's a good thing you showed up otherwise I would've lost my patience."

Tora smiled again. "I'd be happy to show you guys to the Keep. I haven't told Darcia and Hamona about Cheza and Tsuki, but it's only a matter of time before my brother realizes. Our senses are intertwined; he'll know something's wrong."

"Then we better hurry," Kiba said.

Shouta flew off to scout ahead as they began their journey. As he lead them away, Tora asked, "Where's the rest of your pack?"

"We decided to separate to cover more ground."

"And Hige was getting hungry," Tsume added.

"I see… This isn't the kind of city you should be separated in, but in your case, I'd say that was wise."

Kiba and Tsume exchanged glances. "What do you mean by that?"

Tora abruptly stopped and turned to the wolves with a stern look on his face. "Jaguara is not someone you would want to upset. If it hadn't been for Cheza and Tsuki's capture, I'd say it was stupid of your pack to come here. This is no place for a wolves."

Kiba frowned. "You think we don't know that?"

"_No_, I don't." Kiba backed away reluctantly to let the Noble explain. "I have no doubt you guys will be able to take on Jaguara's forces by yourself. Shouta told me what happened in that city before you reached the sea of ice. Wolves have always been strong, but Jaguara is in a league of her own. She's a wolf's worst enemy.

"For years, she's basically exterminated your race by pinning you against each other. She used wolves to hunt their own kind, like a bunch of dogs. If you guys hadn't separated, she probably would've used that to her advantage."

"Are you saying you don't trust us?"

Tora closed his eyes patiently. Provoking the wolves was not the wisest thing to do at the moment. He just needed to warn them of what Jaguara was capable of, but if he were tell them that one of their friends was a spy, then that would only make matters worse. "Jaguara is a manipulator, that's all I'm saying. She's the reason my family and I have suffered all these years. She's also the reason for Tsuki's current condition."

"What?!" Tsume grabbed Tora's collar, who didn't flinch when the wolf drew him nose-to-nose. "What the hell happened to Tsuki!? What did that bitch do to her?!"

Calmly, the Noble pried Tsume's hands off of him and cleared his throat. "It's like I said. Jaguara had been using wolves to hunt other wolves. I found what I believed was a wolf's corpse, hoping to find the chosen one. She was a lovely specimen, and it was a terrible waste to leave her there while she still had a pulse."

"_You_ took her?" Tsume growled out. "And _experimented _on her?" Even Kiba was disgusted.

"… Yes. I put her in a special incubator. I had a theory, and I wanted to see if it would work…"

-X-

_A flower of colossal size began to bloom in Torasuto Darcia's laboratory. Using a natural floral sustenance, ancient alchemy, and the putrefying remains of a feral creature, an immense carnation was developed in this lab. This young scientist had not used this method before, but using the information in his grandfather's book, he was able to perform the same experiment he did years ago, only this time, he started with a ostensibly, lifeless wolf carcass. His reasons were selfish, but he couldn't help commiserating the poor, frail creature. Bringing it back to life was the least he could do. When the procedure was complete, it would be able to help him in return. Now he was anticipating an extraordinary event to happen in the very near future: a cure for Hamona._

_The giant blossom had been convulsing for a few days, but it hadn't bloomed an inch. He didn't know when the miraculous reincarnation would occur, but he was itching for it to happen soon._

_The flower was surrounded by an incubator filled with a nourishing fluid that would hopefully speed up the development of the enormous blossom. It was connected to a tube, which was attached to a reservoir of water. Inside was a glinting girl floating in suspended animation. She was his grandfather's creation: the Flower Maiden. Using the tube connected between the maiden's container and the flower's incubator, he was certain the maiden's conserved energy would initiate the flower's budding; maybe the maiden would also give him a lively response._

"_Tora," a voice called behind the young alchemist. He immediately recognized the voice, but he continued to observe the Flower Maiden. "Torasuto, she's not going to wake up if you keep staring at her like that. You need to rest."_

"_Mmm… I'm fine, Mei," he said. "My health is the last thing we need to worry about. Besides, I'm not sure my brother would be too happy with me slacking off." Mei frowned. She put her hand on his cheek and slowly caressed it. He sighed. "But perhaps you're right—"_

_Torasuto was interrupted by the shrill bleeping of the holographic monitor. He turned towards the Flower Maiden's tank. She was still cataleptic, impervious to the noise, but a grin was forming on her face. "What the hell…?" Another sound erupted through the lab, reverberating the earlier noise. The flower's incubator overflowed with the liquated nutrient; it was beginning to blossom._

_The young alchemist slowly approached the overgrown carnation. His assistant followed carefully. She put a hand on his shoulder, afraid of what was going to happen next. Tora put his hand over hers to reassure they would be safe, but he was not so sure about that himself._

_As the petals peeled themselves open, nectar poured out from small openings that were already exposed. Something else was languidly slipping through the wedges of the blossoming petals. When the flower completely bloomed, Tora ran to catch the drenched creature. "Tora, wait…!" Mei called after him. He was already on his knees as the mysterious being fell into his arms. The buoyant nectar soaked through his clothes._

_He took a closer look at it. Beyond the sticky film of nectar and water, he could see that it was a wolf. Its moist fur was pasty against his skin. Its breaths were shallow, but it was alive. All of a sudden, this gaunt, humid creature was now a young, beautiful girl. Around her neck was a golden locket attached to a chain. He observed it, looking to see if it had any significance. He heard soft mumbling as he analyzed her necklace. He didn't know what she was saying and why she kept repeating it, but that was not important right now. He could feel her shivering against him, and her skin felt clammy. He turned to his assistant, who was watching his every movement from afar._

"_Get some towels and a gurney. We need to do a full-body scan on her."_

_Mei nodded before she rushed out of the room. He put his lukewarm hand on her forehead, checking her temperature. She was burning up. When he removed his hand, he saw a very interesting mark on her forehead. The eight extremely small, distinctive marks on her forehead resembled a lunar flower._

This must be a sign. She must be the answer to saving Hamona…

_Tora continued to hold the girl close to his chest to keep her warm and watched her as she prolonged her endless mumbling._

"_Big brother…"_

-X-

"When Tsuki woke up, all she could remember was her name. Cheza responded positively whenever she was around, so she mostly stayed in the lab where we could watch her carefully. We later found out Tsuki was perpetually connected to Paradise through Cheza."

"How's that possible?" Kiba asked curiously.

"According to legend, the Flower Maiden and the key are the only way to Paradise. However, something had been overlooked. According to _The Book of the Moon_, a hybrid wolf by the name of Lupa, half wolf/half flower, is the only one who can open the doors to Paradise. Everything the Flower Maiden feels she feels and vice versa. They are a part of each other."

Tsume got testy. "You… turned my sister into a hybrid?"

"No. The lubricant she was soaked in was a poisonous nectar that's only harmless to plants or plant-like organisms, like Cheza. It was also the same substance used to create Cheza and her people. The flower in which she was incubated did something to her DNA structure, made her more adaptable like a plant and at the same time allowed her wolf-like nature to adapt to it as well. On that day, she became a part of the prophecy."

Now that was interesting. Kiba always knew there was something peculiar about Tsuki from the moment they first met. That explained why Cheza had this special connection with her. But he didn't understand why Tsuki was so bitter towards him when they first met. Maybe that was something he had to ask her himself.

"But Tsuki became something more to our lives than just an experiment," Tora continued. "She was a blessing in disguise. If it wasn't for Tsuki, I wouldn't have been able to find a cure for Hamona's Paradise sickness. Soon, she became a part of our family. She made our lives better, more peaceful, happier.

"But then Jaguara took that happiness away. Her men came to my lab, destroyed all my research, and took away my beloved Mei…" Tora stopped when his breath hitched up. The wolves looked at him sympathetically. "Tsuki and I only had each other, and with Jaguara's troops still after us, I did everything I could to protect her until we could reach Darcia's Keep so she could cure Hamona."

He turned to Tsume. "I love your sister, Tsume. I promise I would never do anything to intentionally harm her. I just did what I thought was best for her. Leaving her with your pack turned out to be good for all of you."

Tsume didn't say anything. He was still overwhelmed by all this new information. His dear little sister had been a part of this experiment, and in the end, she had been given a second chance with a new family. But then her new family had been annihilated again by the same people who destroyed the forest where their original pack used to thrive. Tsuki had been through so much. He'd only wished he could've been there for her. At least she had Tora through it all.

"She's become a part of our pack," Kiba inputted. "All we want to do is free her and Cheza so we can all go to Paradise."

Tora smiled. "That's all I want." He stopped when they were at a dead end. Below was a path of giant red cables. "Here we are."

They all felt a terribly bleak energy flowing through the column, like something was sapping their energy. "You feel that?" Tsume said to Kiba.

"Yeah, the total opposite of basking in the moonlight." He turned to Tora. "Where are we exactly?"

"These are the cables that power this entire city. They're all connected to the heart of the city, Jaguara's Keep. What you're feeling… well, there's a reason why this place is called the Black City." Tora jumped down on the cables. "Let's get a move on. It's only going to get worse up ahead, so there's no time to slow down."

"What about Hige and Toboe?" Kiba asked Tsume. They were still looking for food, and if they weren't back…

"Do you want to go back?" The white wolf said nothing. "Don't worry. Knowing Hige, he'll catch up, with the runt lagging behind. We just have to have a little faith."

Kiba was still hesitant. Toboe would no doubt worry, and Hige was no help in that department. But the hungry wolf knew his way around the city so well, they'd be able to find food and, hopefully, their scent in no time.

With a second thought, the wolves quickly jumped down to catch up with the Noble. They had a feeling that the journey was only going to get more dangerous from here, but they couldn't stop to wait for the others. They needed to reach Cheza and Tsuki before it was too late.

* * *

><p>Toboe couldn't help sighing in content as he walked through the city holding hands with Tsuki. It felt like forever since they'd been together. But now they were alone, and it was the greatest feeling in the world.<p>

As they walked on, Toboe began to notice other people. The streets were crowded with citizens living normal, oblivious lives. With her new apparel, Tsuki practically blinded in with them. From across the street, he also noticed a few of Jaguara's soldiers. Seeing this, Tsuki calmly pulled Toboe along. "Tsuki, what…"

"Just keep going," she whispered. "Try not to look suspicious."

Toboe did as he was told and didn't look at the soldiers. Once they passed them, Tsuki led them into an alley. "Do you think this is where Hige went?"

"We're not looking for Hige," Tsuki answered. "I'm taking you out of the city."

"What?" Toboe pulled his hand away. "B-But I can't leave without the others. I still have to find Hige, and Cheza's still in danger."

Tsuki shook her head. "It won't be long until Jaguara's men find out about you and the others. Plus there's no scent at all, so we won't be able to find them unless we howl, and that will only bring us unwanted attention. I trust that big brother and Kiba can handle themselves, but Hige is too far gone."

"What do you mean by that? Do you know what's wrong with him?"

Tsuki went to sit against the wall. Toboe sat beside her and watched her. She looked sad. "Toboe, before you and the others entered the outer walls of the city, Jaguara had managed to capture me."

"How'd you escape?"

Tsuki looked at her hand, which began to tremble. "I… slaughtered her men. I've torn their bones, tasted their flesh. I wasn't myself, but it was the only way I could escape. I even stole these clothes so I could hide from them." Toboe frowned. Even though they were wolves, he knew this wasn't something a pup like him or Tsuki should've had to encounter by themselves. She acted as if she still had blood on her hands. "I was so scared and alone. All I wanted to do was reach you.

"Tora's told me so many terrible things about Jaguara. When I saw her, I knew it had to be true. She looks so much like Hamona…" She paused, realizing Toboe probably didn't even remember who Hamona was. "There was one thing that made me fear her the most. Jaguara used to make wolves hunt each other, like dogs. She made us kill our own race."

Toboe was speechless. He couldn't imagine a human doing something so unfathomable, so horrendous. "But what does this have to do with Hige…" He stopped, seeing the unbelievably glum look on her face. "No… Hige would never…!"

"I don't think he would, either. At least not intentionally. Jaguara kept her wolves tagged and collared them."

Toboe remembered the collar Hige wore with the _X_ on it. "Why didn't she make him kill us already?"

"I don't know, but now that he's in the city, there's no telling what Jaguara will do to him. That's why you need to get out of here as soon as possible. Once she finds out you're here, she'll kill you."

"What about you?"

"Don't worry about me. If her men do catch us, then I'll be able to draw them away—"

"No!" All of a sudden, Toboe pulled Tsuki into a hug. "I'm not leaving you. After what happened on the ice, I thought I'd never see you again. Knowing that you were with this monster…" At this point, Toboe began to cry. He couldn't even imagine not having Tsuki in her arms, never seeing her glowing face, her dazzling eyes, her smile. It was too much to bear. "I… I-I love you, Tsuki. I want to be with you forever. And I know I may not be strong enough, but I want to protect you. And when we're old enough—"

Suddenly, Tsuki broke their embrace and pulled him into a kiss. Toboe's face turned beet red. He had never been kissed like this before, and being wolves, they had different ways of showing affection. But a _kiss_ was something else. Once he got a taste of Tsuki succulent lips, he wanted more.

But sadly, Tsuki pulled away. She looked at him with teary eyes and a radiant smile. "I love you, too, Toboe." She leaned her head onto his shoulder. "When this is all over, I want to be your mate."

Toboe smiled. "I'm glad." He wished this moment wouldn't end, but he knew if the soldiers found them they'd be sitting ducks. "Well, if we can't find Hige, I'll take you back to where we were going to meet with the others." Tsuki sat up and nodded.

They both got up and stretched before going out through the other way. Before they turned the corner, Tsuki pulled Toboe back. "What is it?"

She pointed up. "There are cameras watching our every move. We need to get to higher ground so they won't see us."

"Then let's go."

They jumped up on the arches and began their journey back. They'd probably still be spotted, but at least they had a better chance of escaping if they got into trouble. "I still can't see anything from up here," Toboe whined. "How do you know where to go, Tsuki?"

She shrugged. "We'll know once we get there."

As they walked, Toboe spotted a familiar face. It was the old man who reeked of alcohol. The pup smiled in relief. Iyek had kept his promise. "The old man made it, Tsuki." She didn't look as happy to see him, though. The old man turned his head, his eyes widening when he recognized the two wolves. He reached for his gun and aimed it at the two. Toboe was about to bolt, but then he noticed the old man's hesitation. He smiled at him before taking Tsuki's hand and walking away.

"How'd you know he wouldn't shoot, Toboe?"

He shrugged. "I just have a feeling he's changed somehow." He stopped again. "I recognize this place." He ran ahead until he found a doorway similar to the little elevator that brought him and Hige to the upper level of the city. "We can go back this way!"

Tsuki followed Toboe hesitantly. "This seems too easy."

"Don't worry. Hige showed me here. We got up this elevator and…"

The door suddenly opened, revealing three of Jaguara's soldiers. "Run!" Toboe grabbed Tsuki and they reverted back to their wolf forms to get away faster. "I'll alert the others!" Toboe said. "In case they're nearby!"

Tsuki didn't reply. She was too concentrated on avoiding their swords. She knew they wouldn't be able to go far as long as they had those special guns.

"Toboe, look out!" It was too late. Toboe didn't have time to dodge the blast of one the guns. "Toboe!" Tsuki stood in front of him, snarling at the soldiers that would dear to touch either of them.

"So these two kids are wolves," one of them said.

"Yep."

"What do we do with this one?"

"She looks like the one Lady Jaguara described…"

Tsuki ignored them for a moment when she saw two familiar faces. On one of the arches was a boy in a yellow hoody and next to him a woman in a black jacket and red scarf. "Blue? Hige?"

The next moment, Tsuki felt an incredibly painful force hit her. She landed next to Toboe, who was out cold.

"Was that necessary? Lady Jaguara requested to bring her back alive."

"She was hostile. And as long as we bring her back alive, I don't see why she should complain..."

That was the last thing Tsuki heard before everything turned black. And in her last thoughts, she was grateful that, even she though she would be going back to Jaguara's Keep, Toboe would be there with her.

* * *

><p><em><strong>R&amp;R!<strong>_


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter XIV**

"We're in." Tora led the wolves through a secret entrance into Jaguara Keep's. So far, they hadn't been detected. They knew they were bound to be discovered, but they didn't plan on going back. "I think it would be best if one of us stayed behind and got the others. You two will need help to find Cheza, and once you get discovered…"

"I think we'll be able to handle it from here," Kiba said.

Tora nodded. "Good luck." Once he disappeared, the wolves began their trek into the depths' of Jaguara's Keep: the Great Hall.

As they walked on, the Great Hall suddenly appeared smaller than before.

"We've been to all kinds of places before, but…" Tsume hesitated.

"But what?"

"I've never felt such a sense of danger as I do here. Every hair on my body's on end. This stupid place is freaking me out and I don't like it."

"There's something new." It might have come out as a joke, but the formidable atmosphere of the Keep dampened the humor.

They walked through the giant hall for what felt like hours when Tsume suddenly caught a whiff of something familiar. "I smell something."

Kiba turned to see what he was talking about when he suddenly found himself facing a wall that was there. Tsume was nowhere in sight. "Tsume!" He banged on the wall until he got a response.

"Kiba! Kiba, can you hear me?!"

Unfortunately, neither of the wolves could hear their comrades on the other side of the metal wall, but they knew they couldn't stop their journey.

"At least we're still heading in the same place," Tsume muttered irately. "One thing's for sure: I smell flowers."

As he continued down the hall, the familiar scent of flowers grew stronger, which was a great change compared to the scentless air outside of the Keep. The stronger the scent grew, the faster he went until he was completely running. "I'm close."

Meanwhile, Kiba was following a similar trail. He could also smell the lunar flowers, and he ran as fast as he could until he reached a door. Once he got it open, his eyes widened: on the other side, he found a brigade of Jaguara's knights waiting for him.

Tsume's doors opened as well, but he wasn't sure what he had found at first. There were giant glass cylinders (he couldn't tell if they were trophy cases or prisons) were lined up on each side, leaving an aisle way for him to cruise along. Each glass cylinder had something in them. Definitely trophy cases. He didn't know what they were until he spotted a familiar collar with a plague on it in the shape of an _M_. He realized then he was in fact in a trophy room, except the trophies were wolves.

Wolves. His brethren, tagged, stuffed, and displayed. It made him sick.

He was so appalled he didn't have enough time to react when the metal bars fell upon him, trapping him for trespassing. "Damn it!" Before he knew it, Tsume was surrounded by an armada of Jaguara's knights. And all of a sudden, everything went black.

-X-

Once he woke up, Tsume had no idea where he was, but all he knew was he had to get out. There was no telling what happened to Kiba and the others. For all he knew, they had been captured as well, or worse…

With all the strength he could muster, the gray wolf slammed his body against the bars. He didn't know how long he was at it—hours probably—he didn't care. All his senses were telling him staying here was no good, and he needed to find his sister—and Cheza—as fast as he could.

_I'm coming, Tsuki!_

"Stop that," a mysterious voice scolded. "You're hurting yourself for no reason."

He hadn't even noticed if there were other people, or in this case _wolves_, imprisoned along with him because he wanted nothing more than get the hell out. Now that he was more aware, he could see the older wolf, who was disguised as an elderly woman, indicating she was a much more wizened wolf than himself. There was a human in the cell next to her, and he appeared to be asleep, but that didn't last long thanks to the racket he caused.

"They all tried to get out that way," the old woman continued. "But it was useless."

"Who's they?" Tsume asked curiously.

"They captured my entire pack and brought up back to this place. There were many others who were caught, too. The only wolf they spared was the one wearing the collar."

"What did you say?" It was all coming back to him. The room filled with wolves—_stuffed_ wolves—trophies from Jaguara's notorious pastimes. All those wolves had been sporting a collar similar to…

_Hige… it can't be…_

"That bastard betrayed every one of us." The woman's voice was laced with venomous malice of this traitor, whose description was becoming clearer and clearer by the second.

He remembered Tora warning him and Kiba about this, about how that wretched witch turned their kind against each other and kept track of the ones who did her dirty work. He couldn't believe—_wouldn't_ believe Hige was the wolves that would do such a thing. It seemed so unlike him.

Then again, Tsume couldn't remember a time when Hige told any of them about his past. He was always about food and his asinine jokes; none of them would suspect someone as easygoing as him to commit such acts. And from what he heard about this wicked Jaguara, it seemed she had the power to do anything, including somehow coaxing wolves to hunt their own kind, even someone as happy-go-lucky as their perpetually hungry friend.

As much as it made sense, Tsume couldn't accept it. There were plenty of wolves in that room that wore collars. The old woman could've been talking about any one of them. But it seemed she was not yet finished with her story:

"My pack was relatively small, but we managed alright. Everyone looked out for one another. Whenever we came upon a stray, we tried to make them feel like they were one of our own. So naturally, when _he_ came along, we took him in without a second thought. We shared our food, our beds, everything. We should've known…

"Soon after we met him, we began getting attacked by soldiers without warning. No matter where we hid or how far we ran they'd find us. When we came here, we finally figured it out. That it was all because of _him_."

When she was finished, it became deathly silent. After a few moments, the man in the cell inaudibly begged for water, and, miraculously, the sound of metal doors opening echoed throughout the prison chamber.

"Let go of me!"

Tsume flew to the bars hearing the new, adolescent voice. Two knights walked by, one of them carrying a fidgeting Toboe like he weighed nothing. "Toboe!"

"Tsume!" Toboe tried hitting the hand tugging his collar, but it was a feeble attempt. "I said _let go!_" After he commanded so, the knight threw him into the cell on Tsume's left.

Afterwards, Tsume and Toboe watched in horror as the other knight aimed his gun at the old wolf, sending her against the wall of her cell. There was no way she could've survived such a blow, especially at her age. The man in the cell next to hers meekly begged to get out, but he was too sick to even try. And as they all watched the knights take her away, Tsume saw the shock and realization in his eyes, indicating he hadn't noticed the woman next to him was a wolf.

"What happened to Hige?" Tsume demanded of the pup once the guards left.

"I don't know. We got split up. And then Tsuki found me."

"_What?!_" If Tsuki had been with Toboe, then that meant she was brought back here. "Why the hell isn't she with you!?"

"They probably put her somewhere else. Jaguara must need her for some reason. Where's Kiba? I thought he was with you."

"He's probably somewhere inside the Keep." _Just like Tsuki…_

"You don't think they've been… _killed_, do you?"

"Don't say that!" he snapped, and then he quietly added, "If anything had happened, I'm sure we would've felt it. They're alive. They have to be."

"What do you think's gonna happen to us?" Toboe asked. "If we don't do something, we'll all get split up, and we won't be able to save Cheza. What are we gonna do? _What do we do?_"

"I don't know, but none of that's gonna matter if we don't get out of here."

"But how, Tsume? They're gonna come back and kill us just like that old lady! We'll never see the others again, or Tora, or Tsuki…"

Tsume growled. "You're starting to whine, runt."

The pup ignored him. "We won't get to Paradise, either!"

"We _are_ going to Paradise, you hear me?! I'll be damned if I let it end like this!"

"Excuse me," the man in the other cell finally said. "Are the two of you wolves?" Neither Tsume nor Toboe responded. Tsume had no idea who that man was, but he was surprised to see he finally got a hold of his senses. "You are, aren't you?

"So what? Who the hell are you?"

"Everything that was written in the _Book of the Moon_, is it true?"

"Hey, mister," Toboe said. "How come you're locked up in here? You're a human."

The man just chuckled. "If you're looking for Cheza, I was with her." That caught the stoic wolf's attention. "Soldiers brought us here together. I don't know where they're keeping her."

"We gotta get out of here now!" Toboe cried.

Tsume couldn't have agreed more. Immediately, the two wolves began banging at their caged doors. They both knew wherever Cheza was, that was where they were keeping Tsuki. They had to save their friends so they could all go to Paradise together. None of them could do this alone.

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for Blue to lose those guards. She and Cher had successfully entered Jaguara's City without arousing suspicion, until a few of Jaguara's knights caught wind of her true nature and began their hunt. With Cher being human, she had no way to defend herself, so Blue decided to draw the knights away from her so she could escape and find any more clues as to where Cheza might be hidden. And as much as Blue had enjoyed Cher's company these past few days, she knew they both had two separates paths. She just hoped those paths would cross again.<p>

One more lap around the block to lose their trail, Blue jumped back down to the street, her eyes filled with tears of happiness and prolonged grief after she heard what those soldiers said about burning down her home. The wolves they thought were the cause turned out to be Jaguara's soldiers in disguise. "Wolves didn't do it after all, Pops. It wasn't them…"

All of a sudden, she heard a groan coming from the alley she was about to pass. She recognized that yellow hoodie and musky scent anywhere. "Hige? Is that you?"

She wondered how he had gotten in the city in the first place, lying alone in the middle of nowhere, nonetheless. But it seemed that he could barely open his eyes; he looked like he was in so much pain. "Hige!"

"Blue…"

"What in the world happened to you? Did someone hurt you, Hige?"

"You made it out of that place in one piece," he murmured breathlessly. "I'm glad." He sat up against the wall, completely disregarding her concern.

"But where are the others?"

"I don't know. We got split." At least, that was what he remembered.

"Oh…" For a second, she thought about helping him find Toboe and the rest of their pack, but she knew they would find each other eventually. And besides, it didn't seem like Hige was well enough to go anywhere at the moment. So instead, she leaned against the wall next to him.

"I always believed you and I would see each other again, but I never thought it would be in a back alley of this awful place. The only thing I could ask for now would be to find Pops. Hige, I could tell him so much—that it was the soldiers from the city who burned and attacked our village. They were the ones who killed my family. The wolves didn't have anything to do with it. It wasn't them. It was _never_ them." It didn't seem like Hige was paying any attention to what she was saying, but she didn't care. She didn't even care when she started crying in front of him. Right now, being with him was all she needed.

"Hey, Blue," Hige finally said, "how about you and I get out of this place."

"Huh?" Blue wiped her tears away and looked up at dazed wolf curiously.

"We can't stay in a city like this forever."

"But… the others are still alive, right? And what about Cheza?"

"I don't care!" Blue gasped audibly, astonished that he would raise his voice at her. He didn't wait another second to pull her off the ground and start running. "Come on!"

"Wait, what's the matter with you?" She didn't know what was going on, but this didn't sound like Hige. The Hige she first met was hungry and cocksure, not at all afraid to speak his mind or look like a fool, especially in front of her. He was also loyal to his friends and had about as much sense as any other wolf. But there was something about his words that made her feel uneasy. Why did he want to leave the city without finding his friends, or Cheza for that matter? "Hige, what's happened?"

Hige abruptly stopped when they were back out in the open, and his hand quickly went to his head as if he were in pain again. "They're watching me! They're watching me again, I know it—always! They've always been watching…"

Blue didn't know what to say. Hige was covered in sweat and his pupils were dilated; it was like he was a completely different person. "You're starting to scare me, Hige." And they were running again. "Hige, what are we doing?!"

"We have to run away from here fast!"

"Run away?! To where!"

"It doesn't matter where! We never should've come to this stupid city in the first place!"

Blue couldn't stand it anymore. This desperate tone, this sense of giving up—on his friends, on this mission, on Cheza—this was not Hige talking. "Would you wait a minute?!" She pulled hand out of his taut grasp and stopped. "Hige, we can't just run away. What about Cheza, and everyone else? Are you really going to abandon them all like this?"

"It's too late! It's too late for them! It's over, can't you see? And it's my fault, all of it!"

"Hige…" Blue watched as Hige covered his face again with that pained expression. Perhaps it was the city that was making him this way; wolves were never meant to enter a place like this. But if that was the case, then it was all the more reason to look for his friends so they could all get the hell out of this prison.

All of a sudden, a familiar howl bayed into the distance, calling for help. From the look on Hige's face, he also recognized it. "It's Toboe!"

It didn't take them look to reach where they had heard the howl. Just as they suspected, Toboe was in trouble, and he wasn't alone. A lavender wolf was standing in front of her unconscious companion in defense. However, once she saw the two wolves, she let her guard down. "Blue? Hige?"

"Tsuki!" Blue's warning came too late. One of the knights blasted Tsuki off her feet, and she joined Toboe into oblivion.

Two of the knights surrounding Toboe and Tsuki must've heard Blue's cry because now they were running after her and Hige. Without another thought, Blue took Hige's hand and they began running the other way.

With their speed, they were easily able to lose the knights, which made Blue feel immensely guilty for leaving their friends behind instead of saving them, but in Hige's condition, it seemed they had no other options. As they ventured further into the city, Blue noticed that Hige's condition was becoming exceedingly worse. He stopped running at this point and seemed on the brink of collapse, his doggedness being the only thing keeping him going.

"Hige—"

"Don't follow me!" The blue wolf stopped just as he did and watched him closely. As he caught his breath, Blue swore that she heard him laughing.

"Hige…" He grabbed his head in pain once again and collapsed onto the ground. "Hige!" She shook him, trying to coax him out of his sickly state. "What's going on?! Please, what happened to you!?" When he didn't respond, her fear increased. "Hey… come on! Quit playing around! You have to get up! Toboe and Tsuki need our help! _Hige!_" Hige was still unresponsive, but Blue wouldn't give up. She brought him up to her lap and held him, sobbing. "Don't you die on me! You can't! Please don't leave me…"

"Don't worry, he's not dead."

Blue gasped when she heard the new voice and immediately broke out of her human guise. The man before her looked strangely familiar. He was very taller and appeared even taller now that she was in her wolf form. One of his eyes was covered up by his bangs, the other glowing a mesmerizing blue.

The pale man crouched down until his eyes were leveled with her. "Don't worry," he said, not taking his eyes away from hers. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm a friend."

"B-Blue… it's okay." Hige's hoarse voice eased her a bit, and she was surprised to see his grin widen. "It's been a-a while… Tora."

"Hello, Hige."

"Hige, how do you know this man?"

"He's Darcia's… brother."

"What?! And you still trust him!"

"If it wasn't… for him we… wouldn't have met… Tsuki…" Hige turned back to Tora. "What are you… doing here, man?"

The pale man smiled humbly. "I'm here to help."

When he reached out a hand to help, Blue growled. Regardless of his willingness to help Hige, the wolf-dog didn't trust a Darcia, not after what happened at Darcia's Keep. She got separated from all her new friends and she wasn't sure if she'd ever see them again. How would trusting this man help them now?

Tora ignored her snarls of warning, however, and continued to reach for Hige's collar. He frowned. "We have to take this off of him."

Blue looked skeptical. "Why?"

"When Hige reentered Jaguara's City, it activated a control panel that was installed long ago. The frequency from the broken chip is messing with his senses, making him sick. We have to take it off before it does any real damage to his brain."

Blue watched in awe as this pale man turned into a full grown black wolf twice her size. It almost made her cower in fear, but the warm vibes she felt emitting from this intimidating form made her feel less anxious.

Quickly changing into her wolf form, Blue took a mouthful of Hige's collar while Tora took the other side, and together the wolves pulled as hard as they could. After several minutes, they barely made any progress

"Damn that witch!" Tora snarled. "Figures she would make the collar impossible to rip apart."

"Is there nothing else we can do?" Blue asked fretfully. She cringed as another groan came out of Hige.

"We need something sharper than our teeth…" The young alchemist stopped thinking when he heard the heavy approach of Jaguara's guards. Blue also sensed this, facing the oncoming guards and growling acerbically. One them pointed a gun at her, but Tora quickly pushed her out of the way, the bullet grazing his shoulder. "Get Hige and go!"

"But—" Tora pushed her down before the guard could make another shot at them. Before it could even hit them, Hige shot up and blocked it. "Hige, no!"

The shot hit the brown wolf, but he was completely unharmed. The sturdy fabric around his neck slipped to the ground, and suddenly the migraine disappeared. Now fully aware of the circumstances, Hige turned to his friends and smiled. "Let's go find the others."

* * *

><p>It had been a long, enduring battle, but Kiba had finally massacred Jaguara's army and was now slowly, drudgingly climbing the stairs up to Jaguara's chambers where he knew Cheza was waiting.<p>

"Cheza… I'm coming…"

… _Kiba…_

After what seemed like an eternity, the white wolf reached the top and was on his way to the chamber in which the Flower Maiden was being held. There were no other rooms other than the one at the very end, so he made haste. Opening the door, he met the sight of his beloved Flower Maiden, submerged in an orb of mysterious fluids. "Cheza…"

He ran and called out to her, but the Flower Maiden was completely unresponsive. "At last, I finally found you." He put his hand on the glass, but Cheza was still stagnant. "Why won't you answer me?"

"The white wolf." Kiba turned alertly hearing the newcomer. They were wrapped in a dark cloak and their face was covered in a helmet, but even with all that armor on, Kiba could already tell this person, if he could even call them that, was Jaguara, the ruthless monster Tora had warned him about. "You are the one, the wolf chosen by the Flower. How beautiful you are."

The white wolf went to attack, but suddenly he couldn't move. A sphere of light appeared on the floor around him, sealing him to the ground. _W-What is this?!_

"The Flower Maiden, the white wolf, and Lupa the Hybrid, the three keys to ensuring my entrance into Paradise. Now I have you all."

_Tsuki!_

He had completely forgotten about the young she-wolf until now. He had hoped Tsume would've found her by now, but that didn't seem to be the case. He wouldn't have been surprised if the gray wolf ran into the same amount of trouble as he had after they got separated. He wondered where Jaguara was keeping her.

_Kiba…_

The white wolf's eyes widened when he heard the angelic voice of his beloved Flower Maiden, and he grew alarmed when he saw cracks form in the giant orb holding Cheza. The substance in the glass began flowing out like a deluge, soaking his fur and nearly drowning him in misery at the knowledge that he wouldn't be able to protect his precious Flower Maiden.

_I have… I have to… get up…! Cheza!_

… _Kiba… find her, Kiba…_

_Find who?_

… _Lupa…_

Even without the power of Jaguara's seal keeping him glued to the floor, Kiba knew he was too weak to do anything else at the moment. And as he plunged into darkness, the last thing he heard was maniacal laughter._  
><em>

* * *

><p>Cher had no idea where she was. It was easier to get around when Blue was with her seeing as the wolf was the only one of the two who could communicate with the animals that resided in the city. Even when she asked a cat, who was lenient enough to answer her before falling back asleep, where Blue may be, but it didn't help. She felt foolish for asking in the first place, but she was desperate. She needed to find Jaguara's Keep, and she had no idea where to go.<p>

It wasn't until she spotted some military tanks when she suddenly had an idea. Whatever those soldiers were shipping into those trucks was most likely going to the Keep. If she just followed them, then in no time she would be able to get there.

Slowly, midday turned into late afternoon, and the streets of Jaguara's City were silently empty of any citizens. Cher had finally reached the entrance to the Keep where the trucks had transported the goods without getting caught. From the look of the guards stationed at the front, she knew there was no way she would get inside. At least, not without some sort of miracle.

The silence from the streets dissipated when Cher heard the clicking of heels. Her eyes widened in fear. Even from afar, she could recognize that tall, dark, daunting figure anywhere. "Darcia."

The brooding Noble paid no attention to her as he walked past, and the mask along with his headpiece made it difficult to discern his intentions.

"Wait!" The masked Noble stopped and turned to Cher. His eyes appeared darker through that pale mask, and suddenly she was rendered speechless. Without waiting another second, Darcia went on his way, Cher quietly following behind.

As they approached the guards, they immediately turned to the intruders before abruptly falling down. At first, Cher had thought Darcia had done something to make the guards fall like that. Further ahead, right in front of the entrance stood a figure as tall and foreboding as the Noble she was hiding behind, except this man was not wearing a mask, but his face looked rather similar to Darcia III. His handsome features were much warmer than Darcia's, but his appearance was nonetheless disquieting. And much like the Noble, this man's eyes were mismatched, one a haunting gold and the other a calm blue.

"You finally made it," he said. "Shouta has informed me that all the wolves are already inside. Jaguara's ceremony should be starting any minute now…" He stopped, and just as Cher feared, appointed his gaze towards her. She unconsciously took a step further back to hide behind the masked Noble as the man walked up to her. Much to her surprise, he offered her a small, tender smile. "You never said you would bring a guest, dear brother." He took her dainty hand in his gloved one and lightly brushed his lips upon it. "And a lovely one at that."

Tongue-tied, Cher took her hand back. "B-Brother?"

"Yes. I am Torasuto Darcia, the younger brother of Darcia III, but you may call me Tora. I am also the alchemist who created the one they call Lupa."

"You?" Cher felt honored, and still a bit fearful, standing in the presence of the man who created the hybrid in the Book and the successor of the man who created Cheza and others like her, but that also opened the door to the many questions she know had.

"I'm sure you have much to ask," Tora continued, "but I'm afraid there is no time for that. We must hurry." Turning back to his brother, Tora nodded in acknowledgment before allowing his older brother to lead the way into Jaguara's Keep.

"So," he said to Cher, offering his arm, "shall we go into the very heart of darkness?"

* * *

><p><strong>I know it's been a year since I updated this story, but I'd like all my followers to know that there's only TWO chapters to go!<strong>

**I also was playing around with this other Wolf's Rain idea, but I'm not making any promises.**

_**R&R!**_


End file.
